Renew car insurance with outstanding claim?

Orca3

Hi,
Hope someone can help...

Our car was written off by a 3rd party a few months back and the time has come to renew the insurance. The 3rd party has admitted to careless driving in the magistrates court and been fined accordingly. However, the 3rd party's insurer is still trying to settle 50/50 although we're certain the 3rd party was entirely to blame.
The renewal has come in at double the price of the previous policy, although we have protected NCB. However, it looks like I can get close to the old price if I shop around.

My question is - will my current insurer effectively give up and agree to 50/50 if I change do a different insurer? Am I obliged to stay with them because I have an unresolved claim in progress? If not, am I still more likely to get a better result if I stay with the same company?

thanks!

InsideInsurance

You are under no obligation to stay with your current insurers but you must advise your new insurers that you have an open disputed claim on your policy. Once its resolved you'd need to let them know too and hopefully if its closed as non-fault then you will get a premium reduction.

In most organisations claims and sales are so far apart they're almost in different companies. I'd guess 90% of claims handlers would not even see if you'd renewed or not. When I used to work in claims, we couldn't see if you'd renewed or not even if we wanted to. Now obviously if you ask them for a gesture of goodwill claims can talk to sales and see if your worthy of goodwill and if you've left them its naturally going to be less likely.

You have to remember that not only are they considering your Excess etc but by going 50:50 they;d only get half of their costs back and have to pay 50% of the othersides. Irrespective of your interests they'd much rather get 100% of their costs back and have to pay none of the other parties. They are a little more pragmatic about these things though and weigh up the costs of doing this -v- the chances of success where as the insured tends to be more emotional and want to pursue all cases for the principle of the matter