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How long is it to make a claim on car insurance?
How long can I wait to make a claim on my car insurance? Someone hit my car while I was in a store and messed up my bumper. I know I need to file a claim, but I've been so busy!
Joshua Levy · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
“Life can be pretty hectic, and most insurance providers will understand that you can’t file your claim immediately. However try to file your claim as soon as possible.
Waiting to
file your claim
can make it hard for insurance adjusters to tell whether damage came from the reported incident or later. So the longer you wait to file, the less likely your insurance claim will be approved. That said, most insurance companies will designate a specific timeframe for filing claims in your policy. Depending on your provider and the type of incident, you could have up to a few years! But when it comes to minor incidents like a messed-up bumper, you’ll probably have around 30 days.
To get a more specific answer about how much time you have, call your provider and ask them about their policy.
Once you submit your claim and fix your bumper, consider comparison shopping with other insurance companies. Insurance rates can increase after an accident, so it may be worth looking at your other options with
Jerry
. A licensed broker, the Jerry app can help you find and compare competitive quotes in minutes. If you decide you’d like to make a change, Jerry will help you buy new coverage and even help cancel your old policy!”
View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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