When you’ve submitted your claim to your insurance company, a claims adjuster will usually be assigned to your claim to investigate. Than you will receive a phone call, letter or email from the adjuster introducing him or herself and informing you of the general process their company – your company – follows. The adjuster will examine your policy to see what coverage and deductibles you have and evaluate the type and extent of damage and/or injuries that resulted from the accident.

There are simple and difficult claims. Here’s an explanation:

• Simple claims. In accidents where there is no question as to what happened (e.g.: you backed into a tree, were not injured and had $100 worth of damage to your vehicle), the adjuster may simply have you get an estimate for the cost of repairing the car and pay that amount. In-person meeting is usually not required. You’ll only have to complete some paperwork.

• Difficult claims. In accidents where fault is at issue, several vehicles were involved or unusual circumstances surrounded the accident (bad weather, construction, etc.), the adjuster will generally contact those involved in the accident, including drivers, passengers, witnesses, and possibly the police officer who came to the scene to get accurate details of what really happened. The claims adjuster may research traffic laws where the accident occurred, conduct interviews, either in person or by phone, and review photos of damage and hospital records to collect additional information. After collecting all the information, the claim is sent for processing and payment. You’ll have to complete a certain amount of paperwork and may have to meet with an adjuster in this scenario.

How long does the process take? In general, easy cases can be settled in a matter of weeks. Difficult claims may, and generally do, take much longer – especially when fault is at issue. But because every accident has its own facts and circumstances, determining an exact amount of time is difficult. It is a good idea not to have expectations of when the matter will be resolved, but…

Don’t sit back and wait once you’ve submitted a claim. Come to contact with your claims adjuster from time to time, either by phone or email, to see what progress has been made on your claim. Usually claims adjusters have hundreds of claims to settle; don’t let yours fall to the bottom of the pile.