Making a Claim on Car Insurance

If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having an accident there are a few guidelines to follow that could make things a little easier when the time comes to claim on your car insurance.

Firstly, always remember to get as much information as possible. This includes names, telephone numbers and addresses of any third parties. Make a note of the other persons insurance company, and if possible get the insurance policy number as well. It's quite common for people not to know their policy number, especially in stressful situations like this, so do ensure you at least get enough details so you can do a follow up call from home.

Get and Give Details

If there are witnesses to the accident it may be a good idea to get their names and addresses too, but only if they are willing to do so. If you have a camera phone or camera then take some pictures of the vehicle positions before they are moved to safety. If you don't have a camera then make a rough sketch of the details on paper. Show the vehicle positions, the side roads, directions the cars were traveling and make a note of any speed limits for the area.

If there is injury or damage to any property (including animals) then you are legally required to exchange full details with the other party. If, however, you are not the registered keeper of the car then you are required to give details of its legal owner along with your own.

Don't Discuss Blame

At no point should you discuss who was at fault, for doing so could lead to later complications for you and your insurance company. You might feel entirely to blame but there could be other factors in the string of events leading up to the accident that you aren't yet aware of, so do not discuss anything with anyone.

Inform the Insurance Company

The next important step is to inform your insurance company as soon as possible. You need to do this even if you do not intend claiming on your car insurance. In the policy small print there will be a requirement for you to disclose all information that may affect your insurance cover, so whether you claim or not you are still obligated to inform them of an incident like this. When you contact your car insurance company follow their instructions and advice to the letter. From their vast experience they will know exactly what to do in a situation like these in order to eliminate any further legal problems for you.

Finally, if you are making a claim on your car insurance don't be tempted to get any repair work done until you have cleared it with the insurance company, for rushing ahead without their knowledge could leave you having to pay all the costs yourself.