Insurance claim for running over a rock?

AFurt

Tonight at dusk I ran over a rock in the road. It looked to me like a paper bag but too late I found out it wasn't. It punctured the oil sump, maybe not much more.

We've got comprehensive insurance and the insurance company just got the AA to tow me home. I have to talk to them tomorrow about assessing the damage and I'm nervous about whether they'll be difficult about paying. What are the implications for claiming on my policy? I've never claimed before and have a long no claims bonus. The car is a Skoda Fabia and the AA man thought it was probably no big deal as far as he could see. Thanks for any comments.

GAZ237

AFurt wrote: »

Tonight at dusk I ran over a rock in the road. It looked to me like a paper bag but too late I found out it wasn't. It punctured the oil sump, maybe not much more.

We've got comprehensive insurance and the insurance company just got the AA to tow me home. I have to talk to them tomorrow about assessing the damage and I'm nervous about whether they'll be difficult about paying. What are the implications for claiming on my policy? I've never claimed before and have a long no claims bonus. The car is a Skoda Fabia and the AA man thought it was probably no big deal as far as he could see. Thanks for any comments.

If it only needs the sump replacing. I would say it would work out cheaper to pay for the repair yourself.

Otherwise its 5 years of increased premiums for a claim.

TrickyWicky

I cracked a sump years ago and it was £200 to get welded up.

Had I claimed, it would have been a £200 excess to pay plus the loss of ncb etc.

AFurt

Thanks for the replies. When the accident happened, I phoned the RAC, our insurance is through M&S and RAC membership was included as an extra in the policy. The RAC said that as it was an accident, not a breakdown, they wouldn't come and I had to ring the insurers. I did and it was they who organised towing the car home, it's on the drive now. There is a £300 excess on the policy but I'm going to have to get it towed to the garage if I pay to have it repaired which will cost. If I don't claim through the insurance, will I have to pay for the cost of the AA towage? The insurers will send someone to assess the damage, should I wait until that is done before claiming? Can I do it that way round? It may be that there is more than damage to the sump, I simply have no idea.
I'm sorry to sound so dumb, I've literally never had any kind of accident in 30 years of driving and I have no idea how to process this.

Aretnap

As you have comprehensive cover you will (or should) have no problems getting your insurers to pay the cost of the tow and the repairs, less your excess, if that's what you want to do. You'll lose some of your no claims bonus unless you have it protected - the exact amount depends on the policy, but if you have 5 or more years it will usually come down to three (a little secret - most insurers only recognise 5 years of NCB and treat 30 years in the same way as 5).

You can choose not to make a claim if you prefer, which will mean paying for the tow as well as the repairs yourself but will let you keep your no claims bonus intact. You will still have to disclose the accident to future insurers and this may have an effect on your premium for the next 3-5 years, but not as much of an effect as if you lost your no claims as well.

It is probably worth doing a couple of quotes on a price comparison website with and without the no claims intact to get an idea of what effect claiming would have on your future premiums, then make a judgement on whether it's better to pay for the repairs and tow yourself.

colino

As long as the AA/RAC have the registration details of the rock, they will follow up and bleed them dry, do not worry.