My car insurance denied my accident claim saying I was at fault, but the police report says otherwise. What can I do?

A police report is strong proof. But the insurer makes its own call on fault. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) says the other driver's insurer might say its driver was not at fault. Or it might say both drivers were at fault [1]. If it won't pay you, ask for its reason in detail and in writing. Send it the police report [1]. In California, an insurer that says no to a claim against its driver, or disputes who is liable, must do so in writing [2].

Your own policy is the next step. Collision coverage pays your repair costs. Your insurer then tries to get the money back from the other insurer. If it does, you might get your deductible back [1]. Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may help if the other driver had no insurance or not enough [1].

If you think you were treated unfairly, file a complaint with your state insurance department. In Texas, if you complain about the other driver's insurer, that company must write back and explain why it is denying the claim [1]. TDI Help Line: 800-252-3439 [3].

Get the police report from the agency that responded. Read your policy's collision and uninsured motorist parts on your declarations page. How your state splits fault (for example, shared fault rules) was not checked here — "Don't know yet".