Making an insurance claim can be frustrating, especially when an accident was not your fault. You may feel stressed about what to do after a car accident, and you might be uncertain about whose insurance company you’re meant to claim through. It may turn out not to be a simple process and could end up costing you a lot of money. Depending on whether you’ve had a minor accident or a major crash, your car could be in for repairs at the panel beaters for an extended time period – leaving you without a way to get around. The good news is that Right2Drive might be able to assist you with an accident replacement car even if the insurers can’t.
We’ve put together a few important things to consider when lodging a car insurance claim to give you the information you need after a traffic collision. We’ve also included valuable points about accident loan cars to empower you to get what you’re legally entitled to when you’re not at fault.
Claiming Through the At Fault Party’s Insurer
If you are not at fault, you are entitled to lodge a claim through the at fault party’s insurer. However, this can be a time-consuming activity that relies on the at fault party cooperating with you and their insurer. Another consideration is that you may not have a say in who repairs your car, as they will make use of their own preferred repairer. As a result, many people prefer to use the services of their own insurer.
Claiming Through An Accident Management Company
Many people are unaware of the fact that they don’t need to go through the claims process alone after a not at fault car accident. When you use an accident management company, you’ll get a dedicated claims handler to uphold your rights and make sure you get everything you’re entitled to after a traffic collision. This means a specialist to coordinate the repairs on your vehicle, arrange car rental services for you and manage your entire claim with the at fault party’s insurer. If you’re eligible for this option, it means you don’t need to make a claim through your own insurer, which could save you both time and expenses.
Car Insurance Claim Not My Fault – Things To Consider
If you do decide to go through your own insurance, it’s important to be aware of the following things as they could have a financial impact on you in the future.
Car Insurance Excess
Insurance companies may ask customers like you to make a car insurance excess payment even if the accident was not your fault. This depends on whether you can prove the other driver was entirely at fault, and if you are able to provide the at fault driver’s details when you lodge your claim. Although it’s always a good idea to try and collect all the accident details at the scene of the crash, the reality is that you may not have been able to gather the information required. The amount of excess you’ll be liable to pay depends on what you agreed to when you took out your insurance.
Insurance Premium
When you’ve claimed from your insurance provider, it’s important to keep in mind that your insurance claim may affect the premium on your policy. Even if you were claiming insurance when not at fault, you may still end up paying more when the time comes to renew your car insurance policy.
No Claims Bonus
Making an insurance claim after a not at fault car accident could have an impact on any no claims bonus you were entitled to receive. Your bonus could either be reduced, or you may lose it entirely.
Types of Insurance Impact What You Can Claim
Keep in mind that the level of insurance cover you bought will affect what you can claim from your insurer, and you should always check what’s covered in your Product Disclosure Statement. Comprehensive Insurance usually covers you whether you’re at fault or not, whereas Third Party Property Damage Car Insurance will only cover the damage to the other person’s vehicle and property, but excludes the expenses associated with repairing, or the replacement of, your own vehicle or property.
Getting A Rental Car After An Accident
After a traffic collision, you may find yourself without a way to get back on the road safely and conveniently while your car is at the repair shop. Getting a loan car through your own insurer will depend on whether you selected this service when you took out your policy. Keep in mind that there may be terms and conditions surrounding the length of time you’re allowed to use the hire car and that you may not have it for the total length of your repairs – potentially leaving you stranded. It’s also important to note that even if you do get a car through your insurer, it may not be similar to your own car that was involved in the accident and could mean you have to make lifestyle adaptions for the duration of the time you use it. Finally, you should consider that you’ll need to collect and return the vehicle to a location that may not be convenient, or even close, to you.
Keep Moving With Right2Drive
In Australia and New Zealand, you have the right to drive when you are not at fault in an accident. Remember that we offer not at fault drivers a like-for-like accident replacement vehicle for the duration that their car is at repair shops or until it is deemed a total loss. Although you’ll still need to organise repairs of your vehicle, you can enjoy the benefit of your legal entitlement to be placed back into the position you were in before your not at fault car accident. Our service enables eligible drivers to get back on the road quickly and minimise the inconvenience surrounding a collision – with no costs for you. We recover the cost of the loan car on your behalf by claiming through the at fault party or their insurer. We also provide exceptional customer service – including the fact that we’ll deliver the car to you and collect it from you to save you time and effort. Apply through our website now or give our team a call on 0800 004 203.
