Do you know what to do if you get into a fender-bender, or something worse? It's in your best interest that you do. (For more, read What to do after an auto accident.) After the dust has settled from your accident and you've reported it to your insurance company, your claims adjuster takes an important role.

A claims adjuster can be independent and work for more than one auto insurer or work exclusively for one insurer. A claims adjuster verifies the loss and determines the amount you are entitled to claim under your policy.

After an auto accident, you need a suitable game plan for working with your car insurance company claims adjuster to resolve your claim. Your insurance company is required to let you know what forms or documents it needs to support your claim, if you ask. Fill out any claims forms very carefully. Meet with a claims adjuster to inspect and appraise damage before you begin repairs on your vehicle.

If your insurer has a network of "preferred body shops" and you choose to use one, you may never meet with an adjuster; "preferred shops" often streamline the claim process by doing the estimate and repairs in one spot.

Gary Boggs, regional branch manager for Totura and Co., an independent insurance adjuster firm based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has 28 years of claims adjusting experience and offers these tips for making sure your claim goes smoothly and for working effectively with your claims adjuster.

"My suggestion to insureds is to review their policies after an accident in order to understand their obligations and the coverage available to them such as rental reimbursement or towing. Most states mandate by law that insurance contracts be clear and unambiguous. So the insured should not be intimidated. And, always ask questions. The adjuster is there to answer those questions." For example, if you haven't purchased rental reimbursement coverage, don't expect your insurer to pay for your rental car if you were at fault.

If your vehicle is a "total loss," do your own homework on the actual cash value (ACV). Insurance companies use large databases to pinpoint the value of your totaled vehicle.

"You’d be surprised how extensive and accurate they are," says Boggs. "These computer systems can also tell them exactly where to find a like kind and quality replacement vehicle. Still, there may be disagreement (there usually is). I tell people, 'OK, you disagree, so show me I’m wrong. I’m flexible and will consider any information you can add in determining the value of your vehicle.' It is important that when doing their own research, insureds really compare like kind and quality vehicles. Mileage and equipment on the vehicle can vary greatly. A 'for sale by owner' ad in the newspaper won’t do."

Get a rental car from the other insurer if you weren't at fault. If you do not have rental reimbursement coverage on your policy and were not at fault, request a rental car from the other driver's insurance company. "Assuming they are accepting liability on the part of their insured, they owe you for a comparable rental car. If you were driving a sedan then they should place you in a sedan," says Boggs.

Finally, says Boggs, remember the adjuster has a "fiduciary" responsibility to you, the insured. Fiduciary means "a person having duty, created by his undertaking, to act primarily for another’s benefit in matters connected with such undertaking." In other words, he must treat you fairly.