Car insurance after an accident

teddysmum

A couple have cars insured in their own names, but with the other as a named driver.


One person has a no fault accident (paid for by the other party's insurer) in the car for which they are named driver.


Whose insurance costs are likely to be affected ? The person who was driving at the time of the accident (ie the named driver) or the person in whose name is the main one on the policy ?

EdGasket

Both but hopefully not by much if it was no fault.

teddysmum

I'm confused, as the sites discussing no-fault, say the costs go up (possibly 30% with loss of no claims, if not protected)as it's no claim and not no fault.


However, if the driver is not the first named, then the first named and the actual driver do not both make claims. (In this case the first named driver from the person at fault's insurers).

Retrogamer

It's difficult to say. Not every insurance company will load the premium for a non fault accident.

teddysmum

Does anyone have any actual experiences ?


I suppose it's a case of shopping around when renewal time comes (we do anyway), but my husband runs more than one car,so an increase would really hit him.

Aretnap

The no claims bonus will not be affected provided their is no overall cost to your insurance company (ie because the claim is dealt with entirely by the at fault driver's insurers, or because your insurance company initially deals with the repairs, but then recovers all the costs from the other insurers).

There are some situations which involve no "fault" on your part but which can still mean losing your no claims bonus - such as having your car stolen, being hit by an uninsured driver, or having a tree fall on your car - because in spite of the fact that you weren't to blame, there is still a cost to your insurers because there is nobody else for them to recover their costs from. However it sounds like none of those situations apply to you.

When either of you apply for insurance in future you'll be asked "have you had any accidents of claims in the last X years". The person whose car it was will have to answer "yes, I made a claim" and the person who was driving will have to answer "yes, I had an accident". This might or might not have an effect on your premiums, independently of the fact that your NCD is unaffected.

Personally I noticed no discernible effect on my own premiums after a no fault accident a few years ago, but other people have reported significant increases. It very much depends on the insurer and your own circumstances.

EdGasket

As an aside, I have seen posts on here state that you can claim back any increase in premium due to the no fault claim from the third party. No idea about how you'd do this though as you don't know up-front what that increase might be and for how long and even when you buy insurance you don't get a breakdown of the difference with and without a no-fault claim (you can of course try some comparison quotes but that is hardly the same thing).

teddysmum

Aretnap wrote: »

The no claims bonus will not be affected provided their is no overall cost to your insurance company (ie because the claim is dealt with entirely by the at fault driver's insurers, or because your insurance company initially deals with the repairs, but then recovers all the costs from the other insurers).

There are some situations which involve no "fault" on your part but which can still mean losing your no claims bonus - such as having your car stolen, being hit by an uninsured driver, or having a tree fall on your car - because in spite of the fact that you weren't to blame, there is still a cost to your insurers because there is nobody else for them to recover their costs from. However it sounds like none of those situations apply to you.

When either of you apply for insurance in future you'll be asked "have you had any accidents of claims in the last X years". The person whose car it was will have to answer "yes, I made a claim" and the person who was driving will have to answer "yes, I had an accident". This might or might not have an effect on your premiums, independently of the fact that your NCD is unaffected.

Personally I noticed no discernible effect on my own premiums after a no fault accident a few years ago, but other people have reported significant increases. It very much depends on the insurer and your own circumstances.

Thank you.That is a little reassuring.


I was rammed from behind, while waiting to turn left at a round, with a couple of cars still on it.


My husband says we have protected no claims, anyway and the person's insurers have made a preliminary offer.


I've spoken to a local broker that we have one insurance with and they say we can use their free claims management service, as my main car is insured with them. They may be needed as I have a pre-existing condition which has been aggravated, certainly in the short term, by the impact.


I was told that, as above, insurers work in different ways, depending on their categories eg young driver (not me)

teddysmum

EdGasket wrote: »

As an aside, I have seen posts on here state that you can claim back any increase in premium due to the no fault claim from the third party. No idea about how you'd do this though as you don't know up-front what that increase might be and for how long and even when you buy insurance you don't get a breakdown of the difference with and without a no-fault claim (you can of course try some comparison quotes but that is hardly the same thing).

That would be good , but in these days of changing about, very difficult to facilitate.


I suppose you could ask, over the phone, for with/without quotations, at the time of renewal (shouldn't be too difficult for them to check one change), but you'd need an agreement to act in the future, from the at fault's provider.


The car I was driving is due for renewal in about 6 months, but mine was renewed 2 weeks ago and a complication is who can claim (Anyone affected or just the driver/policy holder? Much easier if they are one and the same)