Getting Your Car Repaired - If you have Third Party or Third Party Fire and Theft cover

Getting Your Car Repaired - If you have Third Party or Third Party Fire and Theft cover your policy will not cover accidental damage to your car. You therefore have to pay the repair bill yourself or claim from the other driver (or their Insurer) if he or she was legally liable for the damage.

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.