How To Make A Car Insurance Claim

Insurance companies pay out millions of pounds every year in order to pay for car insurance claims made by drivers involved in accidents, victims of vandalism, people who have had cars stolen, and many others.

If you find yourself in a situation where you need to make a car insurance claim, you may not know what the first steps are in order to start the process. Our guide will help you to get the ball rolling.

Initiating a claim on your car insurance policy

The first step is to inform your car insurance company. You should do this as soon as you possibly can - most insurers have a 24 hour helpline, and if your company is one of those, then this should be your first port of call.

Write down everything that happened as soon as possible, take pictures if necessary, and base your car insurance claim on this information. When you speak to your insurer, be sure to find out what they expect you to do and what supporting evidence they require from you.

Also, make sure the first story you give your insurance company is accurate and full - changing your story later on makes your claim look awkward and could lead to your insurer doubting its validity.

Of course, if the case involves a criminal offence (such as a theft from the vehicle, damage to the vehicle, or the actual vehicle itself being stolen), you should inform the police straight away, and try not to touch or move anything. You will receive an incident number from the police; make sure you keep this as your insurers will need it in order to process your claim

Once your claim has been made

After initial contact has been made with your insurer, make sure that you keep all documents you get sent in a secure location (as well as copies of any quotes or receipts you receive), as well as ensuring you are easy to get in contact with should your car insurance company or the police need to get in touch with you.

You should also keep a record of phone calls (many insurers can provide you with a reference number for each individual call, and if not you should keep a note of the name of the person you have spoken to and the time).

While waiting for your claim to be processed, do not be tempted to just take your car to be repaired in the hope that your insurer will pay for it. Insurance companies have certain garages that perform work for them, and are far happier to pay for work done by them.
Also remember that until your insurer agrees to pay for the repairs, any repairs made to the car are your responsibility. Ensure you have confirmation before getting the car repaired, or you could find yourself with a hefty repair bill which you will have to pay.