ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR FILING AUTOMOBILE/VEHICLE LIABILITY CLAIMS
The following information is provided to assist you in obtaining the most expeditious reply to your claim.
If you feel you have an automobile/vehicle accident claim against the City of Tampa, the City’s Risk Management/Claims Office recommends that you contact your insurance carrier and report the accident to them immediately. If you have collision coverage, filing the claim with your own insurance company should simplify and expedite the entire process for you. Furthermore, if your car cannot be driven, the city does not contract with car rental companies and cannot provide a rental vehicle to you, which is a service you may have on your own policy. Once your company has settled their claim with you, your insurance company is likely to ask the City of Tampa to reimburse them.
Should you elect to file your claim directly with the City of Tampa, the City must conduct an investigation to determine liability, i.e. who is at fault; which may take longer to process your claim and may or may not result in payment to you.
As the claimant you have the following responsibilities:
- Complete and sign a claim form and submit it to the City of Tampa.
- Mitigate your damages: This means taking action to avoid or reduce further damages to your vehicle, including minimizing storage expenses and protecting your property from additional damage and exposure.
- Cooperate with the City’s investigation: This means providing all relevant supporting documents or additional evidence and communicating with your assigned claims investigator as needed.
The length of time it takes to investigate a claim will vary from case to case. The City’s Risk Management/Claims Office will make every effort to resolve your claim as quickly as possible.