The claim process
What documents do I need to file an auto insurance claim?
The short answer: less than most people fear. To open the claim you need your policy number and ID, the date, time, and location of the crash, the other driver's name, insurer, and policy number, the police report number if one was made, and a basic account of what happened. Everything else — photos, estimates, bills — builds the file as the claim develops. You do not need a complete evidence package in hand before you file.
What you need to open the claim
Opening a claim is mostly an identification exercise. The insurer needs to find your policy, create a claim record, and start a file on the crash. That takes a short list of basics:
- Your policy number and ID. Your insurance card, your insurer's app, or your policy declarations page carries both. If you are filing against the other driver's insurer, you will give your own name and contact details instead, and their driver's policy number where you have it.
- The date, time, and location of the crash. Be as specific as you can — the road, the nearest cross street or landmark, and roughly when it happened.
- The other driver's details. Their name, their insurer, and their policy number, plus a license plate and vehicle description if you have them. This is the information exchanged at the scene.
- The police report number, if one was made. If officers attended or a report was filed, give the number. If the report itself is not ready yet, the number is enough for now — the insurer can pull the report when it is available.
- A basic account of what happened. A few plain sentences: where each car was, what each was doing, and where the damage is. You are opening a file, not giving a final statement — stick to what you know and say so where you are unsure.
That is enough to get a claim number and an adjuster assigned. If a piece is missing — most commonly the other driver's insurer — file anyway and note what is missing. A claim opened with a gap can be filled in; a claim never opened cannot.
The evidence file that strengthens it from day one
Opening the claim and proving the claim are two different jobs. The documents above open it. The evidence below is what the decisions later in the claim — fault, damage, amounts — will actually rest on, and much of it can only be gathered at the start.
Scene photos are the strongest item in the file. Photograph both cars and the damage, the wider scene, positions, skid marks, debris, road signs, and anything that shows how the crash happened. Photos taken at the scene carry weight that later descriptions do not. The guide to what to do and document right after a crash walks through gathering this material at the scene, step by step.
Witness names and contact details matter because memories fade and people become hard to reach. A witness who is not in anyone's file on day one is often unfindable by week three. If anyone stopped, or was nearby, get a name and a phone number and put both in the claim file.
Your own written timeline is the third piece. Write down what happened, in order, while it is fresh — the direction you were traveling, what you saw, what you did, and what was said at the scene. Date it and keep it. Weeks later, when an adjuster asks questions, that note is more reliable than your memory will be.
Keep a claim folder from day one. One folder — paper or digital — for everything: the claim number, the adjuster's name and contact details, every document you send or receive, and a note of every call with the date and what was said. Claims run on files. The driver with an organized file answers questions in minutes instead of days.
What gets added as the claim develops
Once the claim is open, the file grows in the order the claim moves. Adjusters typically ask for these as each stage arrives, and sending them promptly keeps the claim moving:
- Repair estimates. The insurer's inspection produces an estimate, and a body shop may produce its own. Keep both, along with any supplements written when hidden damage is found during repairs.
- Medical bills and records, if you were injured. Bills, treatment records, and related expenses become part of the file when there is an injury claim alongside the vehicle claim. The first steps on that side are covered in the guide to the first steps in an injury claim. This guide covers documents only — it is not medical advice, and treatment decisions are yours and your clinician's.
- Receipts. Towing, storage, a rental car, and other out-of-pocket costs the claim may cover. A cost without a receipt is a cost you will struggle to prove, so keep every one.
- Wage-loss proof, if you missed work. Typically a note from your employer or pay records showing the time missed and what it cost you. Ask what form your insurer or the other insurer wants before you assemble it.
Send copies, keep originals, and send each item once, labeled with your claim number. Flooding a file with duplicates slows it down; a complete file sent in order speeds it up.
First-party vs. third-party: what you hand over differs
Who you are filing with changes what you hand over. On a first-party claim — against your own insurer, under your own collision coverage — the insurer already holds your policy, so the file centers on the crash details, the damage, and the evidence. Your deductible applies, and your policy wording controls what is covered.
On a third-party claim — against the other driver's insurer — you are a claimant on someone else's policy. That insurer typically needs your account of what happened, evidence of the damage, and proof of the amounts you are claiming, and it will make its own liability decision before it pays. No deductible applies to a third-party claim. The full comparison is in the guide to first-party vs. third-party claims, and the mechanics of opening the third-party file are in the guide to filing a claim against the other driver's insurance.
Hand over what the claim needs — not everything you have. On a third-party claim especially, provide the documents that relate to this crash and this damage. If an adjuster asks for records that seem unrelated, it is reasonable to ask what they are needed for before you send them.
Filing documents are not value-proof documents. This page covers the documents that open and support a claim. Two other kinds of proof answer a different question — what the car was worth. If your car is totaled, the documents that prove its condition and value are covered in how to document your car for a total loss claim. If your car is repaired but worth less, the proof for that claim is covered in what documents you need for diminished value. Do not let a value dispute delay opening the claim itself — file first, then build the value proof.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a police report to file a claim?
No. A police report is helpful because it anchors the basic facts of the crash in the file, but it is not a prerequisite for opening a claim. You can file with your policy information, the crash details, and the other driver's information, and add the report number later if a report was made.
What if I don't have the other driver's insurance information?
File anyway with what you do have, such as the other driver's name, license plate, and vehicle description, and note what is missing. Your insurer can often help track down the other coverage from those details, and a police report, if one was made, may carry information you did not get at the scene.
Should I send original documents?
No. Send copies and keep the originals. That applies to bills, receipts, estimates, and records. Keep your own complete copy of everything you hand over, with the date you sent it, so the file you hold matches the file the insurer holds.
What does the other driver's insurer need from me?
On a third-party claim, the other driver's insurer typically needs your account of what happened, evidence of the damage, and proof of the amounts you are claiming, such as estimates, bills, and receipts. It does not need documents that are unrelated to the claim.
Auto repair and insurance rules vary by state and by policy. Check your own policy documents and your state's insurance department, or talk to a licensed professional, before acting on a claim.
Filing documents, at a glance
| Stage | Documents |
|---|---|
| Opening the claim | Policy number and ID; date, time, and location of the crash; the other driver's name, insurer, and policy number; police report number if one was made; a basic account of what happened. |
| From day one | Scene photos, witness names and contact details, and your own written timeline of the crash. |
| As the claim develops | Repair estimates and supplements, medical bills and records if injured, receipts for towing, storage, and rental, and wage-loss proof if you missed work. |
| Third-party claim | Your account, evidence of the damage, and proof of the amounts claimed. No deductible applies. |
| Value disputes (separate) | Total-loss and diminished-value proof documents — covered in their own guides, not needed to open the claim. |