Your Car After a Natural Disaster

The night Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast, Mandee Bellarosa and her roommates were hunkered down in their multilevel condominium in Hoboken, New Jersey. At 9 pm, the power went out, and shortly afterward they went to bed.When Apple programmer Kit Cutler's 2012 Ford Focus was slammed from behind by a silver Lexus, the hit was so hard that it shoved his car into the Honda Accord in front of him. Although no one was hurt in the accident, the driver of the silver Lexus drove off without providing insurance information to anyone. Cutler and the Accord's driver exchanged insurance information, filed reports with the police and went home. The accident was only slightly more confusing to Cutler than the insurance claims process that came after.From the second after the accident, keep good records. Among the information items to collect are: the time and location and the other driver's name, license number, insurance company and contact information. | July 16, 2013 | iStockphotoIn these situations, the last thing you want is any more stress or drama. With that in mind, here are a few basic strategies — from filing car insurance claims to car shopping — to get you back on the road as swiftlyand painlessly as possible.This article explains what insurance companies are doing behind the scenes in the wake of an automotive mishap or collision. It also discusses what happens if you're hit by an uninsured or underinsured driver. If you're involved in an accident, "The first thing to do is let your insurance company know you were in an accident and provide all the specifics of it," Salvatore says. "From the second of the accident, keep good records." Use your smartphone (or keep a notebook in your glovebox) and write down the time, date, plate number, make and model of their car, their registration information, license number, name, insurance company and contact information.Bellarosa woke just two hours later when a friend called with bad news. Water was already entering his garage, where she had earlier parked her 2009 Volkswagen JettaIt wasn't until the following afternoon that the water had receded enough for Bellarosa to venture outside, and even then it was a knee-deep trudge to check on the status of her car. The Jetta actually looked OK, but when she opened the driver's door, water poured out.That car insurance claims process baffles nearly everyone. "Most people only file a claim every eight to 10 years," says Jeanne Salvatore, vice president for public affairs and consumer spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute You'll want to establish what's covered by your car insurance policy before making any big decisions. "If your car was damaged in [a storm like] Sandy, it is likely covered if you have comprehensive coverage as part of your auto insurance policy," says J. Robert Hunter, director of insurance for the Consumer Federation of America

People with newer cars usually have this coverage. But Hunter also advises those with older cars, who may be thinking of dropping collision from their policies, to "keep the usually much less costly comprehensive coverage." It can be especially important if they live in areas prone to floods, high winds, earthquakes or other calamities.From filing the claim to resolving it, every insurance company's methods are different. However, the essentials of the process are fairly standard. You'll only see part of the process, though. All negotiations between insurance companies about payments and reimbursements will be carried on behind the scenes.Comprehensive coverage — which is sometimes known as "other than collision" insurance — "covers many things that could happen in a storm, including water or flood damage, falling objects including trees, signs and such, and wind damage," he says. As soon as it's safe to do so, grab your camera or cell phone and snap some photos of the damage. Make sure to get shots from various angles — front, back, side, above and below — as well as pictures from inside the car, including the trunk and engine bay. Resist the urge to start cleaning up the mess immediately; it's best to get photos of the car as you found it. Clear evidence like this can help your insurance company understand the nature and extent of the damage

Remember that your car's specific odometer reading as well as its trim, options and condition all affect its value, so make sure that any estimates have accounted for these details correctly. If you happen to have any clear "before" photos of the car, maybe from that Sunday afternoon you spent washing and waxing it, these can help you verify the car's actual condition prior to the incident.

— and whether it makes sense to attempt a repair. As with Cutler's case, it's standard for your insurance carrier to call soon after you report an accident. During that call, "We'll match the person to their policy, determine what happened in the accident, find out about any injuries, the extent of damage to both vehicles and get some demographic information," says Mike Flato, a process business leader for Progressive Insurance. "We'll make sure everyone is OK; if not, what happened and then who'll handle the medical claims."Diana Dyckes, another Sandy victim from Hoboken, returned to her 2011 Subaru Legacy

After a claim is filed, your insurance company assigns you a claims adjustor, who is your contact from then on. Adjustors coordinate teams that look at medical reports, investigate the accident, speak with witnesses, view the scene, examine the vehicle damage, manage all the repairs and any medical treatments, check all coverages (how much your policy pays for medical injuries and property damages) and ultimately determine fault. Fault assessment is not necessarily a simple matter. "Liability laws don't govern how you assess fault," says John Murphy, service center business leader for Progressive Insurance. "They dictate how much you can collect and who is eligible." Therefore, fault determination is up to the insurance companies.

the day after the storm. Inside she found small ponds of floodwater in the cupholders and residue on the seats and roof lining. She snapped photos of what, to some, might appear to be light damage. But these signs of exposure to brackish water demonstrated to her insurer that the car was a total loss. Her later discovery of a flooded trunk and a failed ignition bore that out.Car shopping would probably be the last thing on your mind if you were caught in a natural disaster. But events like the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan or this year's so-called Frankenstorm can destroy tens of thousands of cars in little more than the blink of an eye, leaving their owners no choice but to pick a replacement vehicle as they start to rebuild their lives.

"File your claim fast, as they are usually settled on a first-come, first-served basis," he advises. This is critically important after a widespread disaster like Sandy, since insurers can quickly become overwhelmed with claims. Bellarosa, for instance, has gone weeks without a final settlement for her totaled Jetta despite almost daily calls to her adjuster.If the police are on the scene, Salvatore says, take their names and badge numbers. Get the names of any witnesses and note whether emergency medical personnel were called. "Photos are helpful. Take pictures of the car and the license plate," she says. "If the claim is straightforward, you may not need any of it, but if a problem occurs, you need all the information possible." Again, with the prevalence of smartphones these days, this is all quite easy to do.

Cutler filed his claim by phone. "In that initial interview, the agent told me very quickly that I wasn't at fault," he says. Then she asked him questions about the accident and typed his answers into an online form. Cutlerchecked and verified the information.

Even a lesser calamity — a toppled oak or a deer leaping from a dark wood — can unexpectedly leave someone without wheels, while life continues forward at full speed.

, an industry-supported, non-lobbying group dedicated to improving public understanding of insurance.

, hoping to keep it out of harm's way. Despite the blackout, she could see that the streets below her windows were fast becoming rivers.