What Happens to Your Insurance After a Non-fault Accident?
Dealing with the aftermath of an accident that wasn’t your fault can be a stressful experience, especially when you are unsure what happens to your insurance after filing a non-fault claim. While you’d assume that making a non-fault claim wouldn’t impact your insurance in the future, this isn’t always the case.
Insurance companies often will view any claim as an indicator of risk, whether at fault or non-fault, which may mean higher premiums in the future. On top of this, your no-claims bonus might be affected depending on your policy. It’s essential to thoroughly review your insurance terms and talk with your provider to fully understand potential issues.
So, should you file a claim through your own insurance? Or should you rely on the other driver’s coverage? How does a non-fault claim affect future insurance premiums? Let us guide you with essential information on how non-fault claims work and their effects on your car insurance in the future.
Non-Fault Claims
When an accident isn’t your fault, you make a ‘non-fault’ insurance claim. In a non-fault claim, your insurance company can recover the cost of the claim from the liable party.
In comparison, an ‘at-fault’ claim is where you are responsible for all of the damages. In some situations, you may not be at fault, but the claim is still classified as an at-fault claim. Usually, this happens when the accident is caused by an unidentified party or a party that cannot be held accountable.
For instance, if an animal suddenly darts across the road or in the event of a hit-and-run, you may be deemed liable for the damages caused. In these cases, you can be considered responsible even if you weren’t technically at fault.
Deciding Who Is at Fault in an Accident
When it comes to determining fault, the law is a huge factor. The accident would typically be considered your fault if you were engaging in illegal activities like speeding or using your phone while driving.
However, if the other party is entirely to blame, your insurer should treat your claim as a non-fault claim. Sometimes, determining fault can be challenging, and insurance providers will use all the evidence to decide fault.
During the claims process, insurance providers will determine who should be held responsible for repair costs and compensation for injuries. When assessing this, they will decide if your claim is considered a non-fault or at-fault claim. Insurance companies rely on a variety of evidence to make this decision and will need things like:
- Speed camera footage
- CCTV
- Dashboard camera footage
- Photos or videos
- Eye-witness statements
- Police or medical reports
Because of this, it’s crucial to protect your rights and gather as much evidence from the scene as possible. Remember to be mindful when talking to the other parties involved in the accident; apologising can be seen as admitting fault.
Once the evidence is collected and evaluated, the insurance providers will decide who was at fault. If you disagree with the evaluation, you have the right to contest it by making a formal complaint with your provider’s official complaints process, which you can usually find on their website or in your policy documents.
How Non-Fault Claims Affect Your Insurance
As unfortunate as it is, non-fault claims will increase your car insurance premium but won’t have as much impact as an at-fault claim would. While it may be unfair, your insurance provider will consider you high risk going forward, even if you weren’t at fault.
It’s also possible that you may lose your no-claims bonus after filing a non-fault claim. This is because you have made a claim, even if the claim results in you getting paid from a third party.
Let Caversham Coachworks Deal With Your Insurance Company After an Accident
Once fault is determined in a claim, whether it’s considered non-fault or otherwise, you’ll need to arrange repairs for your vehicle. Even if you think the damage is minor, avoiding delays in fixing collision damage is crucial. You should have your vehicle thoroughly inspected by an auto body repair technician to make sure there are unseen damages that can affect your car’s performance and longevity.
At Caversham Coachworks, we want to make post-accident repairs quick and easy to get you safely back on the road. We offer services like alloy wheel refurbishment, cooling systems and air-conditioning maintenance, paintless dent removal, swift same-day repairs, steering component repairs, the use of genuine parts, and electrical system maintenance and refurbishment. With added experience dealing with insurance companies, we have your back in the claims process and repairs after an accident.
We have convenient locations in Caversham and Abingdon and are here to help with traditional, modern, hybrid, and EV vehicles with our state-of-the-art equipment. Contact us today or use our free and easy estimator tool.