There is always the possibility that car insurance in Ponte Vedra will go up when you file an insurance claim. If something happens to your car, you have to decide whether you want to file a claim or not. Failure to file a claim can come back to haunt you. In most instances, it's better to file a claim, even if you decide against paying the deductible and having insurance cover the costs.

FILE AFTER AN ACCIDENT

The moment you get into an accident, you should call the police to report the accident. This will allow you to get a police report an exchange insurance information with any other involved parties. After that, you should call your insurance company to let them know what has happened. They will likely ask for a police report number and for an explanation as to what happened.

By reporting the accident, they will be able to handle all of the different repairs that are necessary.

There are reporting guidelines with each insurance company. If you fail to report the accident and the other party calls your insurance, you could result in various problems with the insurance claim.

FILE AFTER MINIMAL DAMAGE

You have a deductible in place on your policy. Sometimes, minimal damage doesn’t cost that much to take care of on your own. It would be less than the deductible, which means it’s cheaper for you to take care of the problems on your own. It’s still a good idea to file with the insurance company, however. They will tell you what the cost of repair is and then you can decide whether you want the insurance company to pay or you will take care of it on your own.

In many instances, if the insurance company isn’t actually paying for the damage, you will see an increase in your premiums. Calling the company to let them know about the damage is common courtesy. They will know that something happened and they can offer their assistance if it is needed.

DON’T FILE ON THINGS THAT AREN’T COVERED

There are going to be some things that happen to your car that isn't covered by car insurance. It’s a good idea to understand what these things are so that you know that you don’t have to call car insurance company each time something happens.

As an example, you aren’t covered by insurance if your air conditioner breaks or you get a flat tire on the road. You simply have to take care of these things on your own. If you were to call the insurance company, they would simply tell you that you don’t have a claim. It wouldn’t affect your policy because the insurance company isn’t paying anything. It does save you a step when you don’t have to call, however.

In the end, you need to have car insurance in Ponte Vedra. An agent can help you to find the right policy. From there, you should plan on calling to report any accident that would be covered by insurance.