I have had an accident but I do not want to make a claim. Should I still tell my motor insurance company?
Yes. You should always tell your motor insurance company about any incident involving the insured vehicle, even if no claim is made.
My car was badly damaged in a traffic accident but I was completely innocent. Why do I have to lose my no claims bonus?
If you make any claim on your motor insurance, your insurer has the right to reduce the amount of concession you are eligible to receive. A no claims bonus means exactly that - it is not a 'no blame' bonus. If you have built up several years' no claims bonus, you should consider paying extra on your premium to protect it. Also, if the damage to your car is not too costly, you could also consider paying the repair costs yourself rather than making a claim and losing your no claims discount. Remember though, you still need to tell your insurer about the accident even if you don't make a claim.
My car has been written off but the motor insurance company is offering me much less than I paid for it. Why?
Unfortunately the amount you paid for your motor car is largely irrelevant. An insurer will only pay the trade value of your vehicle at the time of the accident. You can try and argue for greater compensation by sending your motor insurance company written proof of the vehicle's current value (e.g. relevant pages from a price guide). You could also pay for an independent engineer to estimate the car's pre-accident value. However, all this costs money and the insurance company may not change their view. The only exception to this is usually reserved for collectors of classic cars who take out a special 'agreed value' policy.
I am planning on buying a second car. Can I use my no claims discount when I insure this car too?
No. A no claims bonus can only be used on one motor vehicle at a time.
I want to insure a motor vehicle for the first time in my own name and until now I have been a named driver on someone else's policy. Am I entitled to a no claims discount?
In theory you can only earn a no claims discount if a motor insurance policy is in your own name. However, if you have not made any claims as a named driver on someone else's policy, some companies will offer you an introductory discount.
What is an excess?
An excess is the amount you must pay towards any claim.
My comprehensive motor insurance policy automatically allows me to drive other people's cars. Does that mean those cars are also comprehensively covered if I'm the driver?
No. First of all, not all policies give cover for driving other cars. If your motor insurance policy does provide this level of cover, it will only be for third party when driving another motor vehicle.
What should I do if I have an accident?
If you have an accident, make a note of as much information as you can at the time - it is helpful to keep a pen and paper in the car in case of such emergencies.
- Ask the other drivers involved in the accident for their names and addresses, and make a note of their car registration numbers, as well as the make and model. If they know the name of their motor insurance company write this down as well.
- If there are any independent witnesses to the accident, take down their names and addresses too.
- If you have a camera (e.g. on your mobile phone) take pictures of the accident before anything is moved. It is also helpful to make a sketch of the accident scene marking locations of each of the motor vehicles.
- If anyone is injured in the accident, you are required to show your Certificate of Insurance to a police officer or anyone else with reasonable grounds to see it. If you do not have it with you, you must take it to a police station within 24 hours of the accident.
- Never admit liability for an accident at the scene and do not discuss whose fault it may have been with anyone else. If you do, you could be creating problems for yourself and your motor insurance company in handling the claim.
- Tell your motor insurance company about the accident as soon as you can, even if you don't plan to make a claim. They will give you an accident report form to fill in and you should provide as much information as you can to them.
