No matter how careful you are while driving on the roads, you may find yourself in a situation in which you need to raise a claim. In this case, you must be aware of the exact car insurance claim process to ensure that you do things the right way. While the claims processes across insurers generally remain the same, there might be slight variations depending on the type of claim. Filing insurance claims for the first time can get tricky and you may make a mistake or two. To protect you from such an occurrence, we list out 5 mistakes you must avoid when you claim car insurance.

If you get into an accident, you need to file an FIR as soon as possible. The FIR forms an important part of the insurance documentation during an auto claim. Do not give in to anyone’s request to settle outside the legal procedure.

Never submit false information to your insurer as this will definitely lead to a rejection of your motor insurance. Your insurer will send an expert to check your car before it is sent to one of the network garages for repair. So, make sure to always be truthful about your claim so that your request can be processed without any hassles.

Each insurance company offers you a window during which you need to file your file car insurance claim. If you wait too long to initiate the process to claim car insurance, you may risk getting your claim rejected. Make sure to ask your insurer what the timeframes are for submitting a claim form after road accidents and do check how much time you are given if you face serious injuries and are unable to contact them for a while.

Never leave the scene of the accident on your own. Let the insurer send a representative to evaluate the damage and get the vehicle towed. If your vehicle undergoes any further damages when you move it on your own, you may not be able to get your auto insurance claims approved for such damages. And the loss you bear could turn out to be very significant.

Do try to capture images of the accident if you are able to. These images might help validate your side of the story against the third–party claim. You can simply use your smartphone to capture a few images that show the damages exactly as they look at the scene of the accident.

By avoiding these mistakes, you will be able to properly raise a car claim with your insurance provider. Remember to always keep your driving license and car insurance policy renewed every year so that your claims do not get rejected for not having a valid license or active coverage. Drive sober, adhere to road rules, and wear a seatbelt.