According to the Insurance Information Institute, policy holders file over $150 billion worth of claims each year to auto insruance carriers.  Despite this huge reality, a lot of Americans find filing for auto insurance claims intimidating, perplexing and totally and aggravating process.

Because vehicular accidents really occur, it's to every insured driver's advantage to abide by a few basic guidelines guaranteed to save him or her time, money and stress.

The following list of steps for applying for an auto insurance claim will aid make it an easier ride:

1. Essentials of filing a claim: The insured driver must assess whether or not to file an auto insurance claim. Whenever the driver is capable of covering the expense without financial rigour, there's no need to file a claim with the auto insurance company.

2. Recognition of witnesses: The car accident victim must ask for the names and telephone numbers of witnesses, in case their testimonial is necessary.

3. Quick notification of the car accident: A driver should right away inform his auto insurance company that he got involved in a car accident. He should get hold of the carrier's 24-hour claims line and furnish the claims insurance agent with the names and addresses of the drivers and informants, time and place of the accident, and additional relevant information. Local police should as well be reached so that a car accident report can be made.

4. File the claim immediately: The driver had better register the auto insurance claim whilst the informations are still new and as soon as it's reasonably conceivable. All relevant details, such as police reports and hospital handling reports, must be presented to the auto insurance company. It's advisable that policyholders send the certification thru certified mail. Moreover, the insured driver must collaborate with his auto insurance company by furnishing any material called for in its investigation and settlement of the claim.

5. Create replicates of the car accident written documents and keep them in a secure place

6. Legal injury assessment and repair: Once the carrier approves the policyholder's auto insurance claim, an auto insurance adjuster will be sent to compute the damage or direct the insured driver to a pre-approved garage to get it fixed. A few carriers let their customers to pick out their own repair shop and provide them with approximations.

7. Applying for a "first party" claim or a "third party" claim: The insured driver has two alternatives: 1) to file a claim with his own auto insurance company (a "first party" claim) or 2) to file a claim with the insurance company for the other car's owner (a "third party" claim). In the first case, the policyholder's own auto insurance company will cover the expenses of repairing or replacing the car. Whenever the car accident victim chooses the second option, the other driver's auto insurance company will cover damage to the former's car to the extent that he or she was at fault.

8. Not bringing out the carriers too early: A policyholder must not relieve his auto insurance company of its duty until the claim is determined to his gratification.

9. Going to courtroom: Any driver who has no recourse with his carrier must take into consideration applying for lawsuit in small claims courtroom.