Date: January 14, 1999
For more information contact: Eileen Mallow (608) 266-7843 or eileen.mallow@wisconsin.gov

Madison, WI--Wisconsin's annual return of cold and snow will bring out another annual event, more car accidents. Whether you've been involved in a recent accident or not, the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) has some helpful information on car insurance available.

"The best time to think about your auto insurance is before you've been in an accident," cautioned Insurance Commissioner Connie L. O'Connell. "Reviewing your policy is a good idea this time of year to make sure you understand your coverage and that you have enough of it. But if you are in an accident, taking a few key steps may get your car repaired more quickly."

In a free booklet titled Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance, OCI has information available for both situations to help answer questions from how to buy insurance to settling a claim after an accident. For example, O'Connell offered the following tips if you are in an accident:

• Call the police. A police report can help if you have an accident or if your car is stolen or damaged by vandals.

• If the accident involves others, make sure you get names, addresses, vehicle identification information, and insurance information from others who may have been involved.

• Call your agent. Phone your agent promptly, even if you are far from home. Have your policy number ready, plus all license numbers, phone numbers, and other information.

• Ask your agent. Find out what documents, forms, and data you will need. If you have any questions, your agent will be able to assist you in filling out the forms.

• Cooperate and answer all questions fully. Your insurer, agent or an adjuster may call you for more information or ask to examine your damaged vehicle. In order to determine the extent of damage, they must have access to the vehicle. Maintaining open communication with all the parties involved will help keep the process moving.

• Take notes. Whenever you talk with insurance company employees, your agent, lawyers, police, or others, write down the date, times, names, and subjects you talked about. Include all decisions or promises made.

Following these steps should make filing a claim easier. However, when people encounter problems with their insurance company, OCI can step in to make sure they're treated fairly. Anyone who feels they have a problem with an insurer or insurance agent can file a complaint that OCI will investigate.

To obtain a copy of the auto guide, or receive a complaint form, write to the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, P.O. Box 7873, Madison, WI 53707-7873, or call OCI at 1-800-236-8517. Individual copies of the brochure are free to the public. Additional copies are available for a small fee.

OCI also has all of its consumer publications, including the Consumer's Guide to Auto Insurance, available on the Internet at the agency's Web page: http://oci.wi.gov/pub_list.htm.