If you want to make an insurance claim for a car accident that was not your fault, it still might affect your insurance policy.
What is a Non-fault Claim?
A non-fault claim is a claim you make when you are involved in a car accident which is not your fault. In this instance your insurance provider can recover the cost of the claim from the driver at fault.
You might feel that you were not at fault for an accident, but your claim still gets classed as an at-fault insurance claim. This might happen if there’s no one to claim against, such as if another car causes the accident but drives off without giving any of their details, an animal runs out into the road, or the other driver is uninsured. However, if the other driver is uninsured, you may be able to claim compensation from the Motor Insurers’ Bureau.
To help them establish who is at fault, insurers may look at speed camera footage, dashcam footage, CCTV footage, eye-witness statements, police reports, medical reports, photographs and videos.
Your Insurance
If it is established that you are not at fault for the accident, the level of cover on your policy will not affect your payout, as you will be claiming against the policy of the other driver.
Even if you make a no-fault claim, this will still be recorded on your claims history, and could make you insurance premiums go up when it comes to renewal. This is because insurers often class drivers who have had an accident as higher risk, regardless of whether they are to blame or not. If your premiums do go up, this is usually less than they would than if you were at fault, but they may still rise.
If you decide to make a claim for any damage to your vehicle, this may affect your no claims discount while your insurance provider works out who is at fault. If they confirm that you are not at fault and are fully able to recover their costs from the other driver’s insurer, your no claims discount should be reinstated. The same tends to go for your excess, where you pay it if you wish to make a claim, and will be refunded by your insurer once they have made certain you aren’t at fault and have recouped their costs.
Most insurance policies require you to report an accident, even if you are not making a claim. Failing to do so could lead to your insurance policy being cancelled or them refusing to pay out for a future claim. If you do report an accident without making a claim, there should be no reduction to your no claims bonus.