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Hold your insurer to its word.
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Every policy is a written promise, and every state writes rules for keeping it. Pick the state where you crashed to see the ones that matter most to your claim.
- Insurer acknowledges a claim 15 days after notice of the claim
- Insurer accepts or denies 15 business days after receiving all items; up to 45 with notice
- Total loss line (title law) Repairs (minus repainting) exceed the car's value: 100%
- Time to sue 2 years for injury and for property damage
- Read the Texas rules and sources What to do right after a crash
Valoroath's short summaries of each state's statutes and regulations, not official documents. Deadlines mostly apply to claims under your own policy, and insurers may total a car below the line in title law. The state page has the detail, the exceptions and the official sources.
A claim, in order
A claim runs in three parts. Start where you are.
Part I
After a crash
From the roadside to the first call.
- What to do after a car accident
- When to call the police
- Information to exchange
- Documenting the damage
- Reporting to your insurer
- Paying without a claim
Part II
How claims work
Which coverage pays, who decides, and how much.
- How a car insurance claim works
- First-party vs. third-party claims
- What a claims adjuster does
- Giving a recorded statement
- Collision claims
- Comprehensive claims
Part III
Claim disputes
When the answer, the offer or the wait is wrong.
- When your claim is denied
- When the offer is too low
- Disputing a total loss value
- The appraisal clause
- When your claim drags on
- Complaining to your state
Claim math
Three questions every claim raises, worked with your own numbers. Estimates, not offers: the method is on the methodology page.
- Claim or pay yourself? Compare what a claim pays after the deductible with what an at-fault surcharge could add to your premium over the next few years.
- Total loss check Enter the repair estimate and the car's value to see whether your state's rule points to a total loss, and what a settlement should add up to.
- Rental coverage gap See how far your rental reimbursement limits stretch over a long repair, and what you could pay yourself.
Rule changes on record
Every dated change-
, state rule
Texas adopts appraisal rules for personal auto policies from March 1, 2027Once your Texas auto policy is issued or renewed on or after March 1, 2027, you or the insurer can demand appraisal of a dispute over the amount of a car damage claim, with set deadlines for each step.
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, regulation
Washington rewrites its claim-handling deadlines for insurersOn a Washington claim made since October 18, 2026, the insurer's clock to decide starts when it learns of the claim, not when it has every document.
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, state law
Illinois will require a right to appraisal in auto policies from July 1, 2027From mid-2027, Illinois drivers who disagree with a damage or total loss figure can use appraisal instead of going to court.
Ask a licensed agent to review your coverage
After a claim, the policy you had is the one you can still change. Describe your situation and Valoroath passes it to licensed insurance agents and insurers who can review your coverage and quote, if you want them to. Valoroath itself does not sell insurance or handle claims.
- 1 Five questions about your car, your record and your policy.
- 2 Who to ask for, and your consent to be contacted.
- 3 A licensed insurance agent or insurer reviews what you have. You change nothing unless you choose to.
Sending this request shares your answers and contact details with the licensed insurance agents and insurers who receive it, which some state privacy laws treat as a sale; see your privacy choices. An agent reviews your coverage; they can't take on your claim or a dispute with your insurer. You pay Valoroath nothing. The licensed insurance agents and insurers who contact you pay Valoroath for requests and set their own prices and terms; your claim stays with your insurer. How we make money.