To report a new claim, please call the Combined Claims Assistance on 08707 57 54 55.

Windscreen

To report a new claim, please call the Windscreen Claimsline in your policy book, below is a list of numbers for some of our insurers. Many numbers will put you through directly to the insurers approved windscreen repairer.

• AXA – 0800 015 4195
• Chaucer – 0800 587 0808
• Equity Red Star – 0870 608 1934
• Highway Insurance – 0800 678 1010
• KGM at Lloyds – 0800 716333
• Zenith – 0800 917 0900
• Zurich – 0800 36 36 36

Most Insurers wait between 4-6 weeks for the vehicle to be recovered prior to paying a Theft claim so be prepared to wait a while in case your car is recovered. A great many cars taken without the owner’s consent are soon found abandoned and can be returned to the owner.

If property is stolen from your car tell the police immediately and then tell your insurer.

The Theft section of your policy will usually cover damage resulting from Theft, attempted Theft of your vehicle and (non-pre existing) damage discovered upon recovery of your stolen vehicle.

Once you have been indemnified under your policy on a total loss basis, your Insurers are buying rights to the ownership of the vehicle and should the vehicle be recovered at a later stage it will be the property of the Insurer and can be disposed of as they see fit.

Some comprehensive car insurance policies also protect you against loss of or damage to personal belongings within your car. Most car insurance policies have set a limit on the value of such property claims and to view the level of cover provided you will need to check your own car insurance policy documentation for details.

Contact the other driver preferably in writing – saying that you intend to claim from him/her.
Advise them you hold him/her responsible and ask him/her to tell their insurers.
Contact the responsible drivers Insurer by telephone, then always write directly to their insurer, always quote the other driver’s registration number, the incident date and the other drivers policy or certificate number (if available).

Send a repairer’s estimate as soon as possible – as their insurers may well ask you for additional comparable estimates.

You must still advise your own Insurer as to the accident, it’s circumstances and that you are claiming against the third party for the damage caused by their driver.

Under Road Traffic Act Law the other driver is obliged to advise you as to who their insurer is.

On receipt of your letter the third party may settle your claim themselves, or may pass the matter to their insurers. If the insurer considers their policyholder entirely to blame it will pay your claim provided they have full information. If it considers that you were entirely or partly to blame it may refuse your claim or suggest a compromise.

The third party may refuse to co-operate at all in which case you should seek advice from your insurer, your car insurance adviser, motoring organisation or solicitor. You may, at the end of the day, have to take legal action against the other driver or their insurer.

You may have legal expenses cover, which will cover the costs of doing so providing they pre-approve your claim and you utilise their suggested solicitor – so it is worth checking your car insurance policy for this.

As well as speeding up the repair considerably, this could allow your insurer to mitigate and control costs by taking advantage of any discounts secured in advance with certain repairers.

Many insurers’ recommended repairers will also be able to provide you with a courtesy car for the duration of repair (whilst your vehicle is being repaired) if this isn’t provided for separately as a policy benefit.

With most car Insurance providers it will be your choice as to whether you take your car to another repairer. If you choose this route you will need to advise your Insurer of your intention and provide them with full details of the repairer in question.

You will need to send the chosen repairer’s estimate to your Insurer. Once in possession of the estimate your Insurer will usually employ a MIMA qualified motor engineer to assess the estimate, the viability of the repair, if it is agreed, they will authorise repairs and oversee the management of any repair subject to your completing a satisfactory claim form.

When you collect your vehicle following it’s repair you will have to pay any applicable policy excess (the first part of the claim that you are responsible for). If you are presenting the claim under your own policy (and not claiming directly from the responsible party’s Insurer) you pay this money directly to the garage, whether or not you were to blame for the accident.

Your insurers may also ask you to pay a contribution towards part of the cost of repairs if your car is put into a better condition than before the accident. This is a standard industry practice known as betterment.

The cost of repairs is your responsibility until your insurers have agreed to pay. Therefore, f or your peace of mind you may wish to obtain confirmation from your insurer that they accept liability and will pay the cost of repair.

Keep a pen and paper in your car for this purpose. Take note of the names and addresses of independent witnesses before they lose interest and leave the scene.

• If you happen to have a camera in the car, or within your mobile phone get pictures before vehicles and property are moved. Also, make a sketch plan of the accident while the details are fresh in your mind.
• Ask the other drivers involved for their names and addresses and make a note of their car registration numbers together with the make and model.
• Ask for the name of their insurers and also, if possible, their policy number or certificate number.
• There may be injury to people or animals or damage to vehicles or property. If so, you are required to give your name and address, the name and address of the owner of the car you are driving and its registration number to anyone with reasonable grounds for wanting them.
• If anyone is injured you should produce your certificate of insurance either to a police officer or to anyone with reasonable grounds for wishing to see it. If you cannot do this at the scene you must produce it at a police station within 24 hours.
• At the scene of the accident you should not discuss whose fault the accident seems to have been. If you do, you could create problems for you and your car insurer in the handling of your claim. It is often not straightforward to identify fault, especially at the scene of an accident where people may be in shock about what has just happened. Leave that to the insurers or the police.
• You must tell your insurers as soon as possible – even if you don’t intend to make a claim. This is a condition of your policy.
• Tell your insurers about any statement made at the scene by any of the parties.
• Complete any accident report form they give you with as much information as you can, as this will assist your Insurer and expedite their handling of the claim.