Starting a Nationwide auto insurance claim
Although all insurance claims may be different, our claims process is designed to handle each promptly, fairly, professionally and with minimal inconvenience to you.
You may start your claim online, by calling your agent or by calling us at 1-800-421-3535.
You’ll be assigned a claims associate to guide you through the claims process and answer any questions.
Your claims associate will (where appropriate):
- Gather facts about the accident
- Explain coverages in your policy and your deductible
- Help schedule an inspection of your vehicle
- Arrange for a rental car if needed
- Review your auto insurance policy and explain the auto insurance coverages that apply
Arranging for repairs
We offer several options for getting a written appraisal for damage to your vehicle:
If you choose one of our On Your Side shops,1 you'll receive fast, seamless service. We work directly with these pre-screened, pre-qualified shops to streamline estimates, repairs and payments.
If you already have a repair estimate, you can mail, email or fax it to your Nationwide claims associate. We may be able to work directly with your repair facility, even if it’s not in our Auto Repair Network.
If your vehicle is totaled
If your vehicle is a total loss, your claims associate will work closely with you throughout the process. We work with a third party to assist in determining the actual cash value of your vehicle. You’ll receive a vehicle valuation report.
We also can help you find another car. The Nationwide Auto Shopping Service, by TrueCar®, provides car-shopping research tools, savings opportunities on new cars and exclusive discounts on used cars from a network of 9,000 certified dealers.
Settling your auto claim
Once we estimate your car damage, you’ll receive payment under the terms of the policy, minus any applicable deductible and non-covered/accepted expenses.
If you still have questions about filing a Nationwide claim, please read our claims FAQs.
