The Car Magazine that always compares its quotes
You don’t often read about how to make a claim, because it’s the last thing you ever want to think about.  The thing is, even if you’ve got a car that’s worth a fiver you still need to go through the right procedures and after all you’ve paid for your premium and gone through the hassle of getting the best cover. Just in case you have not, Go Compare is a very good place to start.
 
So is it worth claiming?
 
Many contracts have an excess, which must be paid no matter what damage occurs to your car. You have to pay it because you have entered in to a legal contract where you have agreed to pay the initial amount of any insurance claim. If you were not at fault though, you can claim it back from the other party’s company. Consequently you may lose part of the your claims bonus.
 
If it is worth claiming…
Tell your insurance company as soon as you can, many have 24- hour helplines. Write the details of the accident as soon as you can. Keep safe all documents that are relevant to the claim, make sure you keep all receipts and that you photocopy any correspondence that is associated with your claim and make sure the staff of the insurance company can get in touch with you when necessary.
 
What you can claim for?
You can make a claim following an accident if the other driver was fully or partially responsible for:
Repairs to your vehicle.
Your Insurance Policy excess.
Loss of earnings.
Damage to your property.
Transport costs, such as taxi fares, or the reasonable cost of hiring a vehicle
Personal injury.
 
Paperwork
You should expect to be sent an accident report form, however, some insurance companies are happy to take all of the details over the telephone, but most will send you an accident claim form to complete. If you are asked to fill one in, provide as much information as you can. Include details of the accident, theft or fire and any information you can about third parties involved and their insurers. In the case of an accident you will be asked to give a sketch of the incident, and if you have photographs provide these too, so if you have a camera phone, make use of it. It is important that you take the opportunity to ask the insurer exactly what they require you to do and what evidence they will be expecting to support your claim.
 
Repairs
Never take your car in for repairs without authorisation. Your insurance company will most likely recommend garage. Your company need to agree to pay your car repair costs so until then any repair costs are your responsibility. You should get concrete confirmation about the state of your insurance claim before proceeding with your car repairs. Remember that you will be required to pay the agreed level of excess even if your insurer will meet the repair costs, and this payment will normally be made straight to the garage who repairs your car. Your company must agree to pay your car repair costs. Until then, any costs are your responsibility. So get concrete conformation about the state of your insurance claim before proceeding with your car repairs.
 
If the insurance claim is rejected
First of all check the policy. Ask your company to identify specifically the clause of the contract on which they rely. If you do not have a current policy make sure they supply one. There are circumstances where you may in fact have the legal right to be reimbursed for your loss even though the insurance company refused to pay the claim. Ideally it is best to get some legal advice in this situation.
 
Getting the most from your policy
The whole claims procedure will be much quicker if you follow your insurer's recommendations fully, and they can deal with the car repairer directly. Your insurance company may also provide a courtesy car while your vehicle is being repaired, subject to your level of cover.
 
Not happy with your insurance cover?
Change it. And the simplest quickest and best way to do this from personal experience is to use a comparison website like Gocompare.com. It isn’t just a question of finding the cheapest car insurance quote, you can also examine the critical policy requirements such as policy excesses. Looking at small print has never been so much fun.
 
How to claim on your Car Insurance