Car insurance confusion

SparklesJD

This time last year I had an car accident. No-one was hurt, thankfully, but my insurer said that it was my fault. A container lorry had broken down before a blind corner on double yellows and I swerved to avoid a car coming out of said corner, scraping against the lorry, but I wasn't able to get details of the other car). Unfortunately it happened just before I renewed my insurance, so I just let it auto-renew, as my postcode makes it really expensive and hard to get insurance anyway, despite 9+ years NCB.

So, fast-forward to last month, I noticed a payment of around £200 had been paid into my bank from my insurer. With tales of insurers cancelling insurance ringing in my ears, I phoned them up and they said that when I'd renewed last year, there'd been an outstanding claim, but that Claims had closed it as a 'no fault' claim, so they'd refunded part of the premium (which had obviously been higher because of the claim). They confirmed that my NCD wasn't affected because it was protected anyway.

I got a letter and a new schedule of insurance, but all it said was that 'with reference to your recent request to amend your policy, we enclose...' so I wasn't any the wiser. My renewal docs say 'No accidents, claims or losses in the last 3 years.'

My questions therefore are around what do I put down now I'm getting quotes for this year? Do I declare it as an accident that was the other party's fault? Where they ask if there was a claim made on my insurance policy, is that a 'yes' or a 'no'?

My understanding was from what they told me later last year, was that a claim from my insurer had definitely been made and the call centre when I reported it were adamant that it was all my fault.

Is the safest thing for me to call them again? I'm reluctant to get them digging into it and deciding I shouldn't have had the refund after all! But I don't want to commit insurance fraud. As it happens, all the quotes from the meerkats have been more expensive whether I answer yes or no to the claim question, so maybe I should just auto-renew again?

Thanks in advance for any assistance - I'm OK on most money stuff, but I find insurance really tricky

Quentin

It looks like no claim against you has come in, and your insurer has closed the case.

As a result your claim free status has been reinstated and the refund is to do with the reduction to your premium as a result.

Going forward you now have this incident on your record, which you disclose as s non fault incident ( non fault because no claim against you has ensued)