Car Insurance Claims in the UK - Introduction & Index

An Introduction to Car Insurance claims and the claiming process

Conduct of Parties during Car Insurance Claims
The general conduct of claims is usually covered by the following clauses and conditions of a standard policy which sets out the rules of conduct expected by all parties under the policy:

Own Repairs
The clause of the comprehensive policy granting the policyholder the right to instruct repairers to proceed with the repairs subject to immediate notification being sent to the insurers with a detailed estimate.

Notification
The policy holder has to give immediate notifications of all accidents likely to give rise to a claim and to forward all notifications of claims made upon him and notices of police court proceedings and any other legal proceedings such as inquests.
N.B. Notification of an accident does not mean that the policyholder is making a claim or that the Car insurer is accepting liability under the policy

Subrogation.
The policyholder must not handle any claims made against him. The insurers are given the right to conduct the negotiations in his name and if necessary to exercise his rights in his name against other parties in diminution of their eventual loss. The policyholder is bound to help the insurers in all their enquiries. It normally pays the insurers to remind the insured of his obligations in this regard whenever an accident is notified, rather than to say nothing and hope that the insured has read his policy carefully (which few do). Thus, the insurers will normally ask the insured when they acknowledge the accident report, to ensure that all communications relating to the claim received from third parties or their insurers are passed on unanswered. The insurer will have the expertise and experience required to deal with the matter and even the simplest forms of acknowledgement from the insured to a third party (e.g., ‘I have asked my insurers to deal with the matter’) may prejudice the insurers.

Arbitration.
In the event of a dispute under the policy between the policyholder and the insurers as to the amount to be paid under the policy, such dispute may be referred to arbitration. Any other disputes are now no longer dealt with by arbitration. If there is a dispute over liability under the policy, for example, this would have to be resolved by the courts rather than by arbitration.

Car Insurance Claims Frequently asked questions
What should I do if I have an accident
Where can I find an Accident Claims Solicitor
What is the role of the Motor Insurers Bureau
What are Car Insurance Claims?
How is the Claim Process controlled?
Fire Theft & Acident claims explained
What is on a Claim Form?
How do I know I'm if I'm covered
Why would a car insurance company deny liability?
What is an Insurable Interest
How do I go about getting the damage repaired?
What are approved repairers?
Who pays for towing charges?
What happens if my car is a write off?
Who decides my cars market value?
What was the World's worst car insurance claim?

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