First of all give your car insurance companies claims department a call. Don't forget, you're the customer and your car insurance premiums pay their salary. If the individual you're speaking to doesn't seem to care about your situation, (don't forget to make a note of the name of the individual you spoke to and the date you called) then find and speak to their superior.

Make sure all your documents are ready to prove your point and explain why you're not satisfied. Send it to the individual you speak to marked PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL or e-mail it to them if they give you their direct e-mail address.

If you still haven't gotten anywhere with your car insurance company, find out if your car insurance company has a complaints department. Repeat the above steps a second time with the complaints department. Explain your situation to someone and if they take no action follow up with a phone call to their superior and a letter or e-mail with supporting documents. Don't forget to provide a list of who you spoke to on each date and the result of the phone call.

If you still haven't resolved your problem, contact your local insurance department. They can be reached by phone, mail, or often online. Many insurance departments can provide you with on the phone assistance to help resolve your problem without requiring you to file a formal written complaint. If a written complaint is requested, you may be able to download and print one from their website, fill it in at home and mail it to them.

When you have filed your complaint your local insurance department will notify the car insurance company of the complaint. The car insurance company is required to respond to the insurance department within a certain amount of time, generally between 10 to 30 days, depending on where you live.

Once the Insurance Department has received a reply from the car insurance company they will investigate what should be done and will let you know. This process can take up to 30 days.

Your problem should normally be resolved by now. Insurers do not want to have the Insurance Department decide against them because they have the power to levy a variety of penalties, ranging from fines to actually revoking the license of the car insurance company.

If you have read the above and decide it's all too complicated you could decide to hire a lawyer who specializes in Auto Insurance. Lawyer's generally work for either an hourly rate or on a contingency fee basis. Whatever you decide to do, ensure that you get your lawyer's fee structure in writing. You should also require your lawyer to provide copies of all correspondence to make sure you stay up to date on the progress of your claim. You should also sure your lawyer is aware that he or she must have your agreement before any settlement is finalized.