Progressive Insurance Claims: Process To File Claim

After an auto accident, you will need to deal with Progressive’s auto insurance claim process before you can obtain fair compensation for your medical bills and vehicle repairs. Every driver must carry at least the required amount of auto insurance.

The driver at fault for causing the crash will be responsible for paying for your damages through his or her insurance policy.

Progressive is one of the largest insurers in the United States. While their reputation precedes them, filing a claim against Progressive can turn into a difficult task car accident victims shouldn’t have to deal with. Like many other large national insurance companies, the company is built on a model to build profit, and that often means doing everything they can to avoid paying out a fair compensation.

In order to recover fair value for your accident or injury claim, you must be equipped with a plan for combating the tactics that insurance companies like Progressive use to pay you as little as possible.

Overview of Progressive Insurance

Progressive, known for its funny spokesperson Flo, is one of the top auto insurers in the country. It boasts more than 27 million customers and it offers a wide range of policies, including vehicle, property, commercial, and personal coverage. Unique discounts such as the Save with Snapshot program help Progressive stand out among its competitors.

Progressive offers four main types of coverage: liability, comprehensive and collision, uninsured and underinsured motorist, and roadside assistance.

Liability coverage

Liability coverage covers property damage and injury to others that are caused by vehicular accidents, and most states require it. Covered situations include damage to vehicles, property, and other people, along with medical bills and court fees.

Comprehensive and collision coverage

These will pay for repairs or replacement of a vehicle if the insured is in an accident, regardless of who’s at fault, but these are different insurance types. Comprehensive insurance covers events outside of one’s control, such as hitting a deer or a tree branch falling onto a car. Collision insurance covers accidents involving other vehicles or inanimate objects, such as a fender bender or a crash into a pole.

Comprehensive insurance carries a deductible and it also covers damages due to theft, vandalism, fire, or other acts of nature.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage

These cover accidents caused by a driver with no or insufficient insurance protection. Uninsured insurance covers an insured who’s hit by another driver who has no auto insurance at all. Underinsured coverage protects an insured who’s hit by someone who doesn’t have enough coverage to pay for damages or injuries they cause. Uninsured and underinsured insurance is offered alongside each other and is mandatory in many states.

Roadside assistance

Progressive’s Roadside Assistance comes with a variety of 24/7 services to help out in an emergency if you want extra peace of mind on the road. It’s provided by Agero, which offers driver assistance services commonly used by insurance companies. It covers various problems and mishaps.

Vehicle towing. It provides a tow to a location within a 15-mile radius.
Winching. It will pull the insured’s car out of mud, snow, water, or sand within 100 feet of the road/highway.
Battery jump-start. It will jump-start your car if the battery dies.
Battery charge on electric cars. It will provide and pay for a tow to the nearest charging station or any other location within 15 miles.
Fuel delivery. It provides delivery and service of fuel at no charge, although fuel charges apply.
Locksmith service. It provides service if your keys are lost, stolen, or locked inside the vehicle.
Flat tire change. It covers the work of replacing a flat tire at no cost, but spare tire charges apply if you don’t have one in your trunk.
On-scene labor. It provides up to one hour of labor if the car isn’t running.

Other types of coverage

Progressive also offers additional types of insurance.

Medical payments. This pays for medical and funeral expenses, as well as those of passengers or family members, regardless of who’s at fault.
Loan/lease payoff. Also known as gap insurance, this covers the difference between a loan/lease balance and a car’s current worth, up to 25% of cash value.
Rental car reimbursement. This insurance coverage pays for a rental vehicle up to the policy limit, typically $40 to $60 per day, in instances of a covered accident.
Custom parts and equipment value insurance. This can cover vehicle parts like custom wheels, repainting, or a sound or navigation system.
Rideshare coverage. This coverage helps bridge the insurance gap when you’re driving for a rideshare company.

Depending on your state, you might be able to add these types of coverage to your policy:

Gap insurance. Under this coverage, Progressive pays up to 25% above the value of your car if it’s totaled to cover a loan or lease balance. You must purchase comprehensive and collision coverage to buy gap insurance from Progressive.

Custom parts and equipment value. Pays to fix or replace custom accessories you add to your car if they’re destroyed in a covered claim, up to $5,000.

Coverage for pet injuries. Included if you buy collision coverage, this pays veterinarian bills up to a certain amount if your pet is injured in a car accident.

Deductible savings bank. If you have comprehensive and collision coverage, you can pay to opt in to this program that reduces your deductibles by $50 every six months you’re claim-free, down to $0.

Progressive offers three types of accident forgiveness. Two types of accident forgiveness are available without charge:

Small accident forgiveness. The company won’t raise your premium for claims up to $500. This perk is automatically added for customers in most states.

Large accident forgiveness. If you’ve been insured with Progressive for at least five years and accident-free for at least three, the company won’t raise your rate even for a large accident claim.

Progressive accident forgiveness. Also available for those who want to pay for an additional layer of coverage. You can purchase this benefit any time you buy or renew your policy, which forgives one accident per policy period. Any accident forgiveness benefits through the company’s loyalty rewards program (listed above) would apply first, so you could have more than one accident forgiven per policy period.

Discounts

Progressive offers 13 discounts to policyholders. Some of the more popular include multi-policy, multi-car, safe driver, and good student. However, residents of certain states, such as California, may not be eligible for certain discounts.

Loyalty-based auto discounts

Multi-policy. Having two or more policies through Progressive will save you an average of 5%. You can save by combining auto and home/renters insurance or with multiple auto policies.
Multi-car. Having more than one vehicle policy through Progressive saves an average of 12%.
Continuous insurance. Switching to Progressive qualifies you for a discount based on how long you were with your past insurer. The longer with that insurer, the bigger the discount. Breaks in insurance of more than a month can disqualify applicants.

Driver-based auto discounts

Safe driver discount. The safer you drive, the more you can save with Progressive’s Snapshot program.
Teen driver discount. This discount is available for teens on the policy who are under the age of 18. Adding a child to a parent’s policy is typically cheaper than getting a separate policy, even without this discount. The teenager will be insured to drive all your cars if your policy covers multiple vehicles.
Good student discount. A full-time student who maintains a B average or better qualifies for this discount that averages 10%.
Distant student discount. This is available for a full-time student who is age 22 or younger and lives 100 miles away from home without a vehicle at school. The average discount varies.
Homeowner discount. This applies to homeowners even if their home isn’t insured through Progressive. The average discount is 10%.

Quote and Buy discounts

Online quote. Applicants who obtain a quote online, even if it’s finished over the phone, are eligible.
Sign online. Applicants who sign policy documents online receive a discount.
Paperless. Applicants who opt to receive paperwork by email rather than regular mail are eligible. Discounts vary depending on the account.
Pay in full. Applicants who pay upfront and in full receive a discount.
Automatic payment. Applicants who set up automatic payments earn a discount.

Progressive’s Snapshot program, also known as usage-based insurance, allows the policyholder to pay based on how much they drive. The policyholder obtains a discount for participating and receives a personalized rate after the first year based on miles. Customers who use this feature save $146 a year on average.

What do I need to file a claim with Progressive?

When you file a claim with Progressive, it’s good to have the following information on hand:

Your insurance policy number and if applicable, the full name of the driver who hit you and his or her insurance policy number.
A copy of the police report you received from your accident. If you don’t have it, you can call the police department and request a copy that you can pick up at a local police department.
The names and contact information of any passengers who were in your car at the time of the accident, especially if they suffered any injuries.
Evidence of the damage to your vehicle, such as pictures you took of your car after the accident.
The contact information of a trusted repair shop in your area for a damage estimate.
Documentation of any accident-related injuries you suffered, including your initial doctor or hospital visit, the results from that visit, and any other relevant follow-up care or information.

How to contact Progressive

Toll-Free Number: 1-800-274-4499

Hours: Toll-free number operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Website: https://www.progressive.com/claims/

Email: customerservice@progressive.com

Twitter: @ask_progressive

Corporate Headquarters:
Progressive Insurance
6300 Wilson Mills Rd.
Mayfield Village, Ohio 44143

How to file insurance claims with Progressive

Have a strategy for after your car accident

First, you need to realize that Progressive and other auto insurance companies are not on your side. This means you need to be smart and strategic with the steps you take after a car accident to protect yourself from common insurance company tactics to convince you to settle for less.

Do what you can to protect your rights from the start of your claim, while still at the scene of the accident. Do not admit fault to anyone and do not say you are uninjured until you have had the chance to see a doctor. Your injuries could have delayed symptoms. Obtain medical care immediately and document the full extent of your injuries. Call the police and write down the number of your police report.

File an insurance claim with Progressive right away

Call your insurance company to report the car accident as soon as you can. The number to submit a Progressive Insurance claim is 1-800-776-4737. You can call from the scene of the accident and follow up later with more information if you wish. You can also wait until later that day or the next day to file.

Most insurance companies require immediate reporting – within 24 to 72 hours. Waiting too long could lead to the loss of the right to recover benefits. If you do not wish to call, you can also file a claim with Progressive online or through the company’s mobile app.

The Progressive agent who receives your claim will need to know a few basic details about your car accident. This can include descriptions of the vehicles involved, license plate numbers, dates and locations.

Do not admit fault for the auto accident to your insurance company or the police. If you did not cause the accident, you may receive a phone call from the insurance company of the party who did. The person calling you will be Progressive’s insurance claims adjuster if Progressive is the at-fault party’s insurer. You might receive this call as soon as the day of the car crash.

Be careful talking to claims adjusters

Car insurance claims adjusters work hard to save insurance companies money. They do this by convincing claimants their injuries and damages are worth minimal compensation. Some insurance adjusters might even engage in bad faith tactics such as offering lowball settlements or denying valid injury claims. Protect any right you might have to financial compensation by being careful when talking to Progressive Insurance’s claims adjusters.

Stick to the facts of your case
Do not speculate about fault
Do not say you caused the accident
Be honest and truthful
Keep your answers short – use “yes” or “no” whenever possible
Do not offer information the adjuster did not specifically request
Politely refuse to give a recorded statement
Do not sign anything until you have spoken to an accident attorney
Do not accept the first settlement offered
Hire a lawyer for assistance with negotiations

One of the best things you can do for yourself and your car accident claim after an accident is to hire an attorney. While you concentrate on healing from your injuries, an attorney can take over correspondence with a Progressive Insurance agent and demand fair compensation for your wreck.

Your personal injury lawyer can also walk you through other options for damage reimbursement, such as a lawsuit. A lawsuit against a defendant could force Progressive to pay a greater amount for your losses than it was offering during settlement negotiations. A car accident lawyer can also guide you through all the steps it takes to file a Progressive Insurance claim.

Progressive Insurance Claims: Process To File Claim