Accidents & Claims
If you have an accident, it is in your own interest to report it to your insurance company as soon as possible, whether you intend to claim or not, as there will be a time limit for making a claim (usually 30 days), and if anything unforeseen crops up some time later on you will then be covered too.
For instance, a personal injury claim could still be brought against you for up to 3 years on from the original accident date, but if your insurance company was unaware of the incident in the first place, then you may be left personally liable.
Considering the size of compensation awards for even relatively small or minor injuries, the damage to your own finances could be considerable. There is also your legal obligation to provide your details to anyone else who might reasonably require them.
Reporting a motor insurance claim
If you do not provide your details, you must report the accident to the police within 24 hours. They may well want to see your documents, so remember to take them with you, your driving licence - both parts if it is a photo one, your insurance certificate and your MoT if your car is over 3 years old.
Some brokers offer a claims service to help out customers, and it is a good idea to utilise these if they are offered, as it is in the broker's interest to keep their customers happy by getting you the best settlement they can. It also helps knowing that experienced claims handlers who liaise with insurance companies, inspection engineers and garages all day can give you the best quality advice and help sort your claim for you in a professional manner.
A lot of brokers and some insurance companies will offer legal cover when a policy is first quoted. This can be really helpful if an accident is serious enough that you incur additional expenses, if you are off work and lose money, for example, or if you are not covered for a courtesy car.
Courtesy Cars
Despite popular belief, these are not always available. If you are covered fully comprehensively, the maximum amount you are insured for is the market value of the vehicle, so if you suffer a total loss, such as a fire, theft, or your car is written off, they will pay you this amount only. As a courtesy car would be extra on top of this, you may find that one is not provided for you, although there are certain additional products you can buy that will cover you for this event.
Making a Claim
Always read your policy wording first before filing a claim or filling in any claim forms, so you know exactly what you are, and what you aren't covered for. Get someone such as your broker to check it over before submitting it the claims department, to make sure you haven't made any silly mistakes that may cause problems later on.
Familiarise yourself with the company's claims process and make sure you abide by it carefully. When insurance companies repudiate a claim, people often complain that insurers will do anything to get out of paying them. While this is not strictly true, it is good practice to follow their procedures, and policy wording properly, as this gives them less reason to turn down any claim.
Dealing with Claims Handlers
Claims departments are notoriously understaffed which is why the claims process can take so long. With this in mind, you need to keep in regular contact with your broker or claims handler to make sure you don't get relegated to the bottom of the pile. Keep records of dates, times and who you spoke to, and always ask when you will be called back. Doing this will ensure the claims handler knows you know who they are and when they promised to call back, so they will be more inclined to make sure they do what they say to avoid any hassle.
Claims handlers often have to put up with a lot from disgruntled customers, so be sympathetic, at least to start with. If they don't call you back the day they said, always call them the following day, ask for them by name, and ask for a progress report. This puts responsibility on them to make sure they meet call back deadlines and get stuff done for you. If they have nothing new to advise you, try not to lose your temper, but ask them why your claim is being delayed. There may be a perfectly valid reason and knowing why will at re-assure you that you are being dealt with efficiently and not being overlooked.