I've been driving for many years and during that time have had to submit a car insurance claim on several occasions. The last couple of occasions the claims were made necessary by deer who disregarded traffic rules and paid the price. Of course I felt sorry for the animals but upon seeing the damage they caused I felt a bit sorry for myself as well.

Other times I've been wholly at fault and it's then that submitting a car insurance claim can be a bit stressful. The person on the other end of the line (if done by phone which is usually the case) is of course going to want to know each and every detail of the accident. You find yourself hoping that some bit of information isn't going to be that which will result in a spike in your premiums, a cancellation of your policy, or worse yet, send your agent into a fit of hysterical laughter.

On the whole though, submitting a car insurance claim is generally painless and the agent on the other end of the line is generally helpful, friendly, and even sympathetic. The first questions asked after my latest deer strike were "are you OK?", and "were any passsengers hurt?".

Contacting your local agent first is the best way to go. You might have to contact the insurance company's claim office eventually, but your local agent will be able to point you in the right direction. They will give you information on what you will need to tell them and how it should be presented.

When another person and their vehicle is part of the process, things might get a bit more complicated. This is when every single bit of information that you can muster is important. This information includes timing, place, your story of what happened, names of any people or witnesses involved, the types of cars involved, license plates, and any conditions.

You will want your car insurance company to be on your side when you file a car insurance claim, despite who was at fault in the accident. You should be as honest as you can and give them every bit of information. This will help them process your claim.

Up to now the discussion has been about what to do and what to expect in the event you have to file a claim. If you are a first time buyer of car insurance or looking for another insurance company you'll want some idea of what you can expect in terms of coverage, premiums, and customer service. Thanks to the Internet, getting free car insurance quotes is relatively easy, much easier than in the pre-Internet age when one had to rely on magazine and newspaper advertisements and multiple phone calls to gather information to base a decision upon.

The first thing that you need to do when you want a free car insurance quote is to do a search in any search engine. If you are concerned about customer service, then you should talk to other people. You can find out how other people have been treated by talking to them. Thus, by using the internet and talking to others, you can make a decision on a company that will make claim filing painless.