Whilst car insurance is essential for all drivers in the UK, it's generally viewed as precautionary cover. Unfortunately for thousands of drivers each year, accidents do happen and claims will have to be made, so it's important to know what your rights are and how to pursue a claim.
If you're involved in a serious collision or your car is stolen, it's important that you contact your insurer immediately. In the case of a crash, you will also have to retrieve the relevant information (all insurance details, number plate, name, contact details etc.) from other parties involved. If a dispute arises it may also be necessary to call the police as well.
The claims process can take some time as all parties have to decide on who is at fault and determine the extent of damage. Therefore, the earlier you are able to contact your insurers and pass on all the information that you have available to you, the quicker it can start to be resolved.
If your car has suffered damage, the insurance company should provide you with a list of trusted garages to get an accurate estimate on how much repairs would cost. This quote will then form the basis of your claim, enabling them to provide any money that you might be owed to ensure that it is back on the road again.
In the event of a complete write-off, which would have to be judged by the inspector at the garage, you would be due the present estimated value of your car. This figure will take into account mileage, age and condition. Your insurer will then use market prices to determine a figure.
Insurance claims will also largely be swayed by the level of fault or complexity attached. If you crash without involving another vehicle, perhaps skidding on ice or having a tyre blow out at speed, then a claim should be a little more straightforward. Whilst you would have to surrender your no claims and pay whatever excess you may have on your policy, you will be able to manage the claim just through your insurer.
It becomes more complicated when other vehicles are involved, particularly in multi-car incidents. If there is doubt over who may have caused the collision in the first place all parties will have to submit their statements and blame will be attached after consulting all evidence. Sometimes it will be an open and shut case, liability can be assigned and your insurance company can seek all monies from whoever has been found to be at fault.
Further complications are added when there are injuries caused as a result of an incident. These might not be evident straight away - for example whiplash can take days to detect, especially following the adrenalin of an accident. The more people who are involved, in your vehicle and others, the more complicated it can come.
Whilst damage to vehicles is often easy to calculate (usually through trusted garage estimates), compensation for injuries can be far more complicated. If it has been a serious collision then all injuries will have to be taken into account. Once again, the party proven to have caused the incident (if indeed one can be determined) will be liable to pay the compensation through their policy.
This can run into thousands of pounds and will require specialist lawyers and solicitors working on behalf of all affected parties. Whilst you will need to maintain correspondence throughout the process, you can largely leave it to the insurers and legal teams to push this through on your behalf.
But as you can probably tell, there are a number of variables that can go into making a claim. Generally speaking, the more complicated a case is, the longer it is likely to take to reach a complete resolution. Depending on your level of cover and your involvement in the accident, you could have everything sorted out in a matter of days. However, many claims will take a number of weeks or months until all parties are fully settled.
Vincent Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK businesses. For advice with Making a Car Insurance Claim he recommends BUDGET Insurance.
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