What About Claims

One of the pages in the policy documents that print when you purchase your policy is a page titled “What to do in Case of an Accident or Theft.” This page provides step by step instructions for you and includes the toll free numbers to call to A.) Report a claim to your insurance company, or B.) Request Roadside Assistance, Emergency Medical Assistance, or other forms of Travel Assistance.

As in the U.S. and Canada, the call center that receives your first report of a claim is manned 24 x 7 with English and Spanish speaking representatives.

If you elected to purchase the upgrade MexVisit Travel Assistance, a separate instruction page is included to explain how to obtain services from this policy feature, and includes the toll free number. EXCEPTION: ABA Seguros automatically includes the better MexVisit, so a separate instruction page is not necessary.

A separate phone number for Travel Assistance is provided for all companies.

Will I Really Need this Insurance?

Only a small percentage of motorists are involved in traffic accidents or have the unfortunate experience of having their car stolen. For those who do have that experience, we hope the following information helps you.

A traffic accident, even in the familiar environment near your home, can be an unnerving event. People’s reactions naturally range from mildly nervous to highly stressed.

A traffic accident in another country, with a different language, different customs, and a different legal system may increase the feelings of uncertainty even if no one is injured.

If there are injuries, try to get medical help as soon as possible.

Remain calm.

Call and report the event to your insurance company immediately. The toll free number is printed on your policy and also on the page titled “What to do in Case of an Accident or Theft.”

Unlike the U.S. and Canada, almost all traffic accidents in Mexico are attended by an insurance adjuster and the police.

You paid good money for your policy, not just to fix your car, but to help you work with the authorities in such situations. GET THE HELP YOU PAID FOR AND QUICKLY CALL THE INSURANCE COMPANY.

DO NOT MAKE PAYMENT DIRECTLY TO A THIRD PARTY OR TO THE POLICE.

Your policy includes coverage for Legal Assistance and a Bail Bond for covered accidents. If the police ask for or suggest payment to them or the other party to the accident, politely explain that you have insurance which includes Legal Assistance (Asistencia Legal), and since you are not familiar with procedures or may not be fluent in Spanish, your insurance company advises you to allow them to help you with such matters.

We strongly recommend that you not make payment for damages directly to a Third Party even if you believe you are at-fault. That is why you purchased a Mexico auto insurance policy. Let the insurance company evaluate and reach a settlement. If you do make payment directly your insurance company is not obligated to reimburse you.

Vehicle Damage Protocol: Mexican insurance companies subscribe to an industry agreement called “hit for hit” (in Spanish, “golpe por golpe”). Under this agreement, if both parties in an accident have insurance for damage to their vehicle, each insurance company pays to repair the damages to their customers’ vehicle. This saves the insurance customer from having to deal with yet another insurance company.

If your vehicle is stolen, report it to your insurance company immediately. They will help you with the steps necessary to process your claim.

After reporting the theft to your insurer, you will be required to report the theft to the local authorities, usually at the office of the local Ministerio Público. Ask the insurance company adjuster to accompany you to the Ministerio Público and to help you report the theft there.

After completing the report to the Ministerio Público, be sure to receive a copy of the report.

Some insurers and some jurisdictions also require you to report the theft to the local office of the Federal Highway police. Again, ask the insurance adjuster to accompany you and to help you complete the report to the Federal Highway police. To report the theft to the Federal Highway policy you will need a copy of the report you made to the local Ministerio Público.

As in the U.S. and Canada, a theft claim may take longer to process than a claim from an accident. This is because fraud is so prevalent that the insurance companies must take care to confirm the legitimacy of each claim.

If your vehicle is stolen, the insurance companies will require that you report the theft to the law enforcement agency in your home state or province (local police or sheriff, state police, NWMP), and you must provide your Mexican insurance company a copy of this report. This may sound like a hassle but it helps you if your vehicle is subsequently caught smuggling drugs or illegal immigrants.

You will also be asked to provide a copy of the Bill of Sale when you purchased the vehicle, and to sign over the original title to the insurance company.

Your Mexican insurance company can not investigate your claim if you leave Mexico before informing them of your accident or theft AND allowing them to investigate.

If you have an accident or claim in Mexico you must report it to your Mexican insurance company BEFORE you leave the country. Failure to do so may result in your claim being denied.

The adjuster will complete a written report, which you will be asked to sign. Since the report is in Spanish, make sure you know what you are signing.

If your vehicle left the road in the accident, check for damage underneath the vehicle and make sure such damage is mentioned in the adjuster’s report.

And finally, be sure you receive a copy of the adjuster’s report. With most insurance companies, the Claim Number is printed on the adjuster’s report and you should use this number when communicating with the company about your claim.

Logically, most people keep their Mexico car insurance policy in the glove compartment of their car. But what if your car is stolen with your policy in the car?

We suggest you jot down the following information on a piece of paper and keep it in a wallet or purse:

• Name of Insurance Company
• Policy Number
• Toll free 800 Telephone number to report a claim

The telephone number to report a claim is printed on the face sheet of your policy and is also on the page titled “What to do in case of an accident” which prints with your policy.

Each situation is different and while it is not necessarily true, the time required to process a claim in Mexico will seem longer because you are in unfamiliar surroundings, you may not have a second car to transport you around, and perhaps because of language differences.

You can help speed up the process from the start by asking the adjuster to carefully explain all the steps you will need to take . . . then take those steps as quickly as you possibly can. The information and documentation required by the insurance companies is logical and necessary to allow them to evaluate the claim. The companies will not pay until they have the information they require so it pays to be cooperative.

An accident or theft of your vehicle will most certainly cause delays in your travel and these delays may cause you to incur unplanned expenses. If your policy includes MexVisit Travel Assistance, you have a bundle of coverages which really help out, including hotel expense and a rental car for a couple of days. Parts needed to make repairs may be difficult to locate and may take time for them to be shipped to the repair shop. MexVisit includes an express parts locating and shipping service. You pay for the cost of the parts while MexVisit gets them to you quickly.

If your vehicle is a total loss from an accident or requires time consuming repairs, you may be eligible to be transported back to your point of origin in the U.S. or Canada.

Following is a partial list of services MexVisit will help with to mitigate the cost or inconvenience of an accident or stolen vehicle:

• Payment of hotel (maximum of USD $300)
• Car rental (maximum two days)
• Towing (maximum USD $300)
• Locating and shipping of repair parts (maximum USD $300) • Auto repair shop referral
• Trip continuation expense, usually by air (not to exceed the cost to return you to your point of origin in Canada or US)
• Payment to return to Mexico to retrieve a repaired vehicle, usually by air.

(Please see actually policy for specifics and details about this coverage)

Of course, the best way to avoid the inconvenience of a claim is not to have one in the first place.

It starts with driving in a safe manner and being vigilant for unsafe conditions and the drivers around you. For more information, see our DRIVING AND SAFETY TIPS.

Take special care where you park your vehicle and avoid on-street parking whenever possible.

If you park in a pay parking lot, do not leave the parking ticket in your vehicle because this makes it easier for a thief to just drive your vehicle out of the parking area after paying a small parking fee.

If your vehicle is equipped with an anti-theft system, use it!

Lock the vehicle whenever you leave it parked.

Do not leave valuables in plain sight inside your locked vehicle.

If you are towing a trailer, consider locking the hitch when parked.

If you are towing an open trailer with motorcycles, quads, etc., secure them to the trailer with a stout chain and lock.

Get a quote from 5 different Mexico insurance companies, and purchase your insurance policy now!