Claiming on Your Insurance Part 1 - Car Insurance

By Jay Tillotson

Everyone knows what insurance is, and how to get it. But what do you do with when you've got it? If you had to make a claim, would you know what to do? This 3 part guide covers what to do in the event of a claim, starting with car insurance.

Car Insurance

If an accident occurs, even if it's your fault, never accept liability or blame. Don't offer anything other than your insurance details, and don't offer money for damages. It's easy to panic and do what you can to diffuse a situation but claiming fault at this stage could cost you dear. If the other driver accepts blame, inform your insurer of this as it will make claiming much simpler. Get names and addresses of witnesses and anyone else involved in the incident such as passengers. You also need to get the contact details and insurance details of the other driver; they have to give this to you by law. If the police arrive at the scene, get their badge numbers. Your insurer will need this information when processing a claim.

Remember to take photographs of your car, and any damage caused. If the other driver permits, get pictures of their car too. Photographic evidence is often more reliable than witness testimony in the event of a dispute, so make sure you have enough. You should also get photographs of the scene if possible. A camera phone is useful for this.

You may find it useful to make a sketch of the layout of the scene and the positions of cars, witnesses and any objects which may have caused an obstruction. Also record any speed limits in the area - if the other driver was speeding this will greatly help your claim - and what the weather was like; e.g. rain can make roads less safe, bright sunlight could have caused temporary blindness. Any information about the area of the accident that you think may possibly help should be noted.

Finally, inform your insurance company as soon as possible. A car insurance claim can be a lengthy process so don't delay. Claiming on someone else's motor insurance shouldn't affect your premiums too much.