Filing A Commercial Vehicle Claim

Commercial Vehicle Claim

If you need to file a claim for one of the vehicles in your commercial fleet, you should know how they work and what to expect.

Your company is your livelihood. That livelihood may depend on commercial vehicles to conduct your business. Having vehicles that will be driven by an employee takes some of the control over the vehicle away from you. That’s why you need the coverage of commercial vehicle insurance. Call an Infinity agent today at 1-800-INFINITY to get a quote or get one online.

Now that you have taken some of your control back and gotten coverage, you need to know what to do in case of an accident. It can seem like a worst case scenario, but it doesn’t have to be if you know how to quickly and properly file a claim.

1. Call us. It is very important that an Infinity agent is called right away after the accident. Call 1-800-334-1661 to report your claim. Ask your employee who was driving to try to remember as many details about the accident as possible, since he or she will need to give a recorded statement later. He or she can take pictures of the scene, gather information about the other driver and take notes on what happened.  

2. If your driver is not at fault: The other driver’s liability insurance will pay out the claim after your insurance files with them.  

3. If your driver is at fault: Your liability coverage will cover the other driver’s vehicle and any other property damage, like if your driver strikes a pole. As for the damage to your own vehicle, it will be paid out by your collision coverage, which is why it is very important for you to be covered besides just liability.

4. Comprehensive Coverage: Hitting an animal, like a deer, with your commercial vehicle can cause serious damage. These damages will be paid out by your comprehensive coverage. This same coverage protects against weather-related damage such as hail or a healthy falling tree.

Avoid a claim

1. Never hire an employee for driving purposes until you check his or her driving record. It will cost more to insure your vehicle if the drivers listed on the policy have a bad driving history. There is a higher chance that this driver will commit driving infractions and get into accidents.

2. Make safe driving courses a requirement for your drivers. Your insurance company or a nearby DMV may have suggestions for courses for your drivers to take. Some of these courses may even make you eligible for an insurance discount, and could positively affect your drivers’ personal auto insurance policies as well.

3. Keep your vehicles up to safety standards. Have regular oil changes done on each vehicle as well as other routine maintenance such as checking the tire pressure. This can seem like a lot of work if you have a large fleet of vehicles, but anything that can keep your commercial vehicles safe and prevent accidents and claims then it will save you money and stress in the long run.   

4. Give your employees a checklist of safe driving tips. Include things like buckling up before cranking the car, making sure headlights are on in the rain and at night, etc. Have them keep a checklist in each car in your fleet and ask them to run through it before driving each time.   

Filing a commercial vehicle claim will never be fun, but it doesn’t have to make you want to tear your hair out. Doing what you can to prevent claims and knowing what to do after an accident can be a huge benefit for your business. Educate your employees so they too can protect the company. Protect what you’ve built with Infinity with Infinity Business Insurance.  

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