When to contact your car insurer
You don’t need to call your insurer from the scene, but you should make sure you call them within 24 hours. That’s because many car insurance providers set limits on the amount of time you have to report an accident.
Before you make a car insurance claim
Before picking up the phone, it’s wise to be prepared for the conversation and have all the information that you need to hand. You will be asked to explain what happened, so write down a description of the accident before you call your insurer. This will help you to explain the crash clearly and avoid forgetting any important details that could affect your claim. You must tell the whole truth and give your insurer the full facts. If you’re not honest about what happened, you could be charged with insurance fraud. Make sure you have your policy documents ready, as this will help you speak to the right person as quickly as possible.
What happens when you make a car insurance claim?
When you report the accident, you will be asked if you wish to make a claim on your car insurance. If you say yes, your provider will send you a claim form that needs to be completed and returned along with any supporting evidence. It’s a wise idea to take a copy of the form before you send it back, in case anything gets lost along the way. You should expect to wait a while before you hear back about your insurance claim. Even if it’s clear which driver was at fault, it’s rarely a straightforward process. If your car was damaged, a claims assessor will review your vehicle and estimate the repair costs. You’ll be given a list of approved garages that can repair the car. Don’t repair your car before this point, or your insurer may refuse to pay out and you could lose any entitlement you may have to a courtesy car. If your vehicle is written off, your car insurance claim will pay out a sum equal to its value before it was damaged. This amount could be less than you were expecting, particularly if it’s a new car that has depreciated dramatically. If this concerns you, you should learn more about how GAP insurance can prevent this. If you think the valuation is unfair, you can appeal to your insurer. If you’re unhappy with the outcome of the appeal, you should take your case to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
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