Car insurance claim journey map template
A car insurance claim journey map shows what a policyholder goes through from the moment of an accident to the repaired car or the final payment: each step, where it happens, how it feels and what goes wrong. This template maps a typical motor claim (an auto insurance claim, in US terms), ready to adapt to your own claims process.
- No clear memory of what information to gather at the scene
- Insurer's emergency number is not saved and is hard to find under stress
- Unsure whether to move the vehicle or wait for the police
- Hold time is 25+ minutes despite it being an emergency line
- Agent asks for policy details that are not at hand at a stressful moment
- First call doesn't resolve anything — policyholder is just told someone will call back
- Online form is long, technical, and not mobile-friendly
- Form times out and all entered data is lost
- Supporting documents must be emailed separately — there is no upload function in the form
- Acknowledgement email is a generic system message with a reference number and nothing else
- No indication of how long the assessment will take
- No named point of contact assigned to the claim
- Inspection appointment is more than a week away with no interim transport solution
- Assessor's report takes another week to reach the policyholder
- Policyholder is not told whether their car is classed as a write-off or repairable before the report arrives
- Settlement offer is significantly below market replacement value
- Dispute process is not explained anywhere in the policy documents or assessment letter
- Escalation path requires a formal written letter with no acknowledgement SLA
- Approved repairers are far from the policyholder's home with no transport solution provided
- Cash settlement requires multiple bank verification steps that cause delays
- Policyholder is not given a courtesy car despite it being included in the policy
- No progress updates during the repair period — policyholder has to chase the garage directly
- Repair takes significantly longer than the original estimate
- Courtesy car runs out before the repair is complete
- Additional damage was found during repair with extra costs not clearly communicated upfront
- Settlement payment arrives later than the agreed date with no explanation
- Repaired vehicle is returned with a different minor issue that wasn't there before
- No follow-up from the insurer to check that the claim was resolved satisfactorily
- Premium increases significantly at renewal with no acknowledgement that the claim was not at fault
- Policyholder feels they were treated as a cost to be managed rather than a customer to be helped
- Include a physical or digital 'what to do if you have an accident' card with every policy document
- Make the claims emergency number the most prominent contact on the insurer app and website
- Include a scene checklist in the app — photos to take, details to exchange, steps to follow
- Prioritise emergency claims calls over standard queries with a dedicated queue
- Identify the caller by phone number linked to their policy to reduce information requests
- Give a clear timeline on the first call — 'you will be contacted within 4 hours by your claims handler'
- Redesign the claims form for mobile-first completion with clear progress indicators
- Auto-save form progress every 60 seconds with session recovery
- Build a document upload function into the claims form
- Send a personalised acknowledgement email with the policyholder's name, claim details, and what happens next
- Include a clear processing timeline in the acknowledgement — e.g. 'initial assessment within 5 business days'
- Assign a named claims handler and include their direct contact details in every communication
- Offer inspection appointments within 3 business days of claim filing
- Share the assessor's report with the policyholder on the day it is completed
- Call the policyholder proactively to explain the write-off or repair decision before sending formal documentation
- Explain the dispute and escalation process clearly in the assessment letter
- Commit to acknowledging all disputes within 48 hours and responding substantively within 5 business days
- Provide access to an independent review service or ombudsman details upfront, not just at deadlock
- Offer a choice of approved repairers within 10 miles of the policyholder's postcode
- Streamline bank transfer verification to complete within one business day
- Proactively arrange the courtesy car at the point of repair authorisation without requiring the policyholder to request it
- Provide weekly automated repair progress updates from the garage to the policyholder
- Set realistic repair timelines and notify the policyholder immediately if they change
- Extend the courtesy car automatically if the repair overruns by more than 2 days
- Require approved repairers to communicate any additional findings to the policyholder before proceeding
- Commit to a payment date and trigger a proactive notification if it will be missed
- Conduct a vehicle handover inspection with the policyholder before they drive away from the garage
- Send a post-resolution satisfaction check 5 days after closure
- Review renewal pricing for at-fault vs not-at-fault claims and communicate any increase with a clear explanation
- Train claims handlers to close every claim with a personalised summary of what was done and a thank-you for the policyholder's patience
Scroll sideways to see every step. “Open this template” gives you this map as your own copy to edit.
At a glance
This template maps a car insurance claim in 5 phases and 10 steps, across 9 touchpoints: claims hotline, claims portal, email, text message, assessor, repair garage, courtesy car, payment and renewal notice. The overall feeling is negative (2.4 out of 5), and 5 of the 10 steps are frustrated or angry. The biggest drop comes between “Vehicle Is Inspected” and “Disputes the Assessment Outcome”.
- Phases
- 5
- Steps
- 10
- Touchpoints
- 9
- Overall feeling
- Negative
- 2.4 out of 5
- Needs attention
- 5 of 10 steps
- frustrated or angry
- Biggest drop
- 2 points
- Vehicle Is Inspected → Disputes the Assessment Outcome
The 5 phases of a car insurance claim
1. Incident
The claim starts before any form exists: shock at the roadside and an emergency number nobody saved. The first phone call sets the tone for everything after it.
- Incident Occurs · 😡 Angry. Policyholder is involved in a collision, theft, or damage event and must decide what to do next.
- Contacts Insurer Immediately After · 😤 Frustrated. Policyholder calls the insurer to report the incident and start the claims process.
2. Claim Filing
The policyholder has to turn a stressful event into a form. Small things matter here: a form that keeps what was typed, a way to upload photos, and a clear answer to "what happens next?".
- Submits the Claim · 😤 Frustrated. Policyholder fills out a claim form either online, by phone, or by email.
- Receives Claim Acknowledgement · 😐 Neutral. Policyholder gets confirmation that the claim has been received and logged.
3. Assessment
The inspection and the decision: repair, or write-off (a total loss, in US terms). An offer below what the policyholder expected, with no word on how to challenge it, turns a neutral process into an angry one.
- Vehicle Is Inspected · 😐 Neutral. An assessor visits to inspect the vehicle or the policyholder is asked to take it to an approved repairer.
- Disputes the Assessment Outcome · 😡 Angry. Policyholder disagrees with the assessed value or the decision to write off the vehicle.
4. Repair/Settlement
The car goes to a garage, or the claim is settled in cash. The pain is waiting without news, and a courtesy car that runs out before the repair is finished.
- Authorises Repair or Accepts Settlement · 😐 Neutral. Policyholder approves the repair at an approved garage or accepts a cash settlement for a write-off.
- Vehicle Is Under Repair · 😤 Frustrated. Policyholder's car is at the garage undergoing repairs while they use alternative transport.
5. Resolution
The car comes back or the money arrives, and feelings recover. But the story ends at renewal: a higher premium with no explanation changes how the whole claim is remembered.
- Collects Repaired Vehicle or Receives Settlement · 😊 Happy. Policyholder picks up the repaired car or receives the agreed settlement payment.
- Reflects on the Claims Experience · 😐 Neutral. Policyholder evaluates whether to renew their policy based on how the claim was handled.
Where a car insurance claim goes wrong
The 5 steps where the customer is frustrated or angry, with their pain points:
Incident Occurs
- No clear memory of what information to gather at the scene
- Insurer's emergency number is not saved and is hard to find under stress
- Unsure whether to move the vehicle or wait for the police
Contacts Insurer Immediately After
- Hold time is 25+ minutes despite it being an emergency line
- Agent asks for policy details that are not at hand at a stressful moment
- First call doesn't resolve anything — policyholder is just told someone will call back
Submits the Claim
- Online form is long, technical, and not mobile-friendly
- Form times out and all entered data is lost
- Supporting documents must be emailed separately — there is no upload function in the form
Disputes the Assessment Outcome
- Settlement offer is significantly below market replacement value
- Dispute process is not explained anywhere in the policy documents or assessment letter
- Escalation path requires a formal written letter with no acknowledgement SLA
Vehicle Is Under Repair
- No progress updates during the repair period — policyholder has to chase the garage directly
- Repair takes significantly longer than the original estimate
- Courtesy car runs out before the repair is complete
Ideas to fix the low points
Incident Occurs
- Include a physical or digital 'what to do if you have an accident' card with every policy document
- Make the claims emergency number the most prominent contact on the insurer app and website
- Include a scene checklist in the app — photos to take, details to exchange, steps to follow
Contacts Insurer Immediately After
- Prioritise emergency claims calls over standard queries with a dedicated queue
- Identify the caller by phone number linked to their policy to reduce information requests
- Give a clear timeline on the first call — 'you will be contacted within 4 hours by your claims handler'
Submits the Claim
- Redesign the claims form for mobile-first completion with clear progress indicators
- Auto-save form progress every 60 seconds with session recovery
- Build a document upload function into the claims form
Disputes the Assessment Outcome
- Explain the dispute and escalation process clearly in the assessment letter
- Commit to acknowledging all disputes within 48 hours and responding substantively within 5 business days
- Provide access to an independent review service or ombudsman details upfront, not just at deadlock
Vehicle Is Under Repair
- Provide weekly automated repair progress updates from the garage to the policyholder
- Set realistic repair timelines and notify the policyholder immediately if they change
- Extend the courtesy car automatically if the repair overruns by more than 2 days
How to adapt this template
- Use your own channels. Replace the hotline, portal, email and text messages with the ones your customers use: an app, a broker, partner garages or live chat.
- Split repairs and write-offs if they work very differently at your company. Two short maps are easier to discuss than one map full of "or".
- Add the other people in the claim, such as the other driver's insurer or a broker, where they change the policyholder's experience.
- Replace the example feelings with evidence from complaints, surveys, call recordings and claims notes.
- Bring real numbers, like hold times and days to settle. They turn a pain point from an opinion into a priority.
Who uses this map
It's written for claims and customer experience teams at insurers who want to agree where a claim hurts most before changing a process. It also helps brokers explain the process to clients, and designers of claims apps see the steps that happen outside their screens.
Frequently asked questions
What is a car insurance claim journey map?
A picture of a claim from the customer's side: the steps they go through, the channels they use, how they feel at each step and what goes wrong. It helps a team see the claim as one experience rather than separate departments.
What are the stages of a car insurance claim?
This template uses 5 phases: the incident, filing the claim, the assessment, the repair or settlement, and the resolution, including the renewal that follows.
How do I map our own claims process?
Open the template, rename the steps to match your process and change the touchpoints to your channels. Then replace the example feelings and pain points with what your customers tell you.
Does this work for home or travel insurance claims?
The shape is similar: an incident, a claim, an assessment and a settlement. Keep the phases, rename the steps (a loss adjuster instead of a vehicle assessor, for example) and remove what doesn't apply, such as the courtesy car.
Is it free?
Yes, Journey Maps is free. You can open and edit this template without signing up. Your map stays in your browser until you sign in to save it, export a PDF or share a read-only link.
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Open the car insurance claims templateUpdated November 2026