Before your insurer pays you anything, they will send an insurance adjuster to investigate the crash. This adjuster may: Interview you about the accident, including what you saw, did, and felt at the time Request copies of any evidence you have gathered, such as photos of the accident scene or your medical records Visit you to see the damage to your car for themselves Speak with the other driver and any other involved parties Request evidence from other sources, such as the police officer who responded to the accident Analyze all of the evidence to decide what happened and who deserves payment for what It might take the insurance adjuster a while to complete their investigation, especially if they have difficulty finding evidence or if there is any confusion over what happened. Once the insurance adjuster finishes investigating, if they decide that you qualify for payment, they will let you know and offer you a settlement. However, the insurer may decide not to pay out because they might: Claim your policy does not cover the types of injuries you suffered State that your losses are not as severe as you say, so they will pay less than what you asked for State that your losses are not related to the crash so they have no obligation to pay you Claim your policy is not relevant in this case