Answering Your Claims Questions

After reporting your claim, you will receive a phone call from an adjuster who will answer your questions and advise you of the claim process.

The adjuster will investigate your claim and will do the following:

• Review your coverages to clarify what insurance benefits are available to you
• Investigate liability to help determine who was at fault
• Assess the damages caused in the loss

Your adjuster may need to speak with all parties involved including witnesses, if any, visit the loss site, evaluate damages and/or review state laws and police/fire department reports.

If you have not been provided with an adjuster name, please call 800-226-6383 and you will be provided with a name, phone number and your claim number. If you already have your adjuster’s name, please feel free to contact them.

A police report may help with the investigation of your loss. If your adjuster believes it will help, they will contact the appropriate police department. If you have a case number, please provide this information to your adjuster. You may also want to obtain a copy of the report for your records by contacting the appropriate police department.

This largely depends on the type of loss that you have, the number of parties involved and the type of damages or injuries sustained. On average, claims are closed within ten days of being reported.

Your adjuster will complete a thorough investigation and will determine liability based on state laws and individual circumstances. Be sure to discuss your individual circumstances with your adjuster.

You have the right to take your vehicle to any repair shop that you choose. If you have not selected a repair shop, our representatives will be happy to provide you with the name of a shop in our Preferred Auto Repair Shop (PARS) Program if one is available in your area. PARS program shops have been selected due to their superb customer service and ability to prioritize work on vehicles insured by Farm Bureau. Plus, they provide a lifetime warranty on workmanship. An adjuster can also help you find a repair shop if you wish to provide photos of your damaged vehicle via smartphone. The adjuster can send you a link to guide you through the photo process.

If we make payment for a covered loss, we will make every attempt to recover your deductible from the liable party for your deductible and the damages that we paid. We use several processes when attempting to recover the damages. This can be time consuming and it may take several months or longer to complete. You should be advised that sometimes we are not successful in our attempts.

There are several reasons a claim may still be open for more than 5 years, including:

• If a minor is involved in an accident, the claim must remain open until the child reaches the age of 18.
• Litigation of a claim may take a great deal of time, particularly those involving severe injuries or complex issues surrounding the incident.
• When cases involve subrogation (the liable party needs to repay funds), the liable party may be unable to repay the amount owed for several years.

Please contact the 24/7 claim center at (800) 226-6383 for details regarding the incident.