Preparation: Insurance Apps

Many insurance companies are offering apps for your cell phone. At first these apps were for only the iphone, but now they are available for android phones as well. My insurance company is State Farm and it offers Pocket Agent which is free for both iphones and androids. This app enables the customer to report an accident claim, get roadside assistance and produce a copy of the insurance card.

When you travel across the country, you may feel out of your element when an accident occurs. This app enables you to send photos of the accident directly to the insurance company. You can also fill out the claims report from your phone. Need a locksmith or a tow truck? The app will give you the info. It also provides lists of nearby hotels and gas stations.

I have this app on my phone, but until recently I never realized how lucky I was to have it. My daughter was in an accident and in California the police seldom deal with fender-benders anymore. On one phone we had the State Farm representative and on the other phone we had the Pocket Agent app running. Our communication with State Farm was amazing and we were able to get all the information they needed to them immediately. The cell phone photos were critical to the investigation of the accident.

Check with your insurance company to see if this type of app is available for you.

For more information on what an app like Pocket Agent can do, visit the following:

http://www.statefarm.com/mobile/android/pocketagent.asp

http://www.statefarm.com/mobile/iphone/pocketagent.asp

The QR code to download pocket agent:

(Photo taken in 2012)