Do you have to tell your car insurer you've had an accident

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
41

truckerjimbo:

trubster:
They ask if you have had “ANY Accidents, Claims or Losses in the last 5 years, irrespective of blame”

So, yes you should tell them as it COULD be cross referenced and invalidate your policy (except third party cover)

So lets put a SPANNER in the works for this thread.

Does your companies truck insurance become invaild because I havent inform my company ive made a claim on my car insurance?? Answers on a postcard??

Have I committed insurance fraud because haven`t inform my company of my claim on my house insurance??

CUE database includes records of claims on home insurance. The above statement doesn`t say MOTOR claims but ANY !!!

Can of worms!!!

An undisclosed claim on from your own motor car insurance is unlikely to invalidate a fleet policy due to the way they rated which is based on the cost to the Insurer of the total amount of claims against the premium paid over the last three years taking into account the amount of vehicles. This is not the same way a car Insurer calculates the premium.

The fleet Insurers may stipulate they want drivers with one or less accidents and / or up to six points etc, they’re generally will to negotiate on a driver who does not fit the criteria especially on bigger fleets as the risk is diluted by the overall premium

42

dieseldog999:
say nothing…that works for me…worry about it when you have to. same as if you rent a van for a 1 day rental,you pay the rental,you pay the 1 day insurance,then crash it into your mates motor and write it off for him. pay the excess,and walk away,job done…say nothing. if you have a middle name on your licence,then use that for the other insurance. the licence number stays the same though,but some may flag up,and most don’t…mums the word… :wink:

How do you propose to do this when Insurers are linked to the DVLA and to arrange a quotation you will need to enter your driving licence number which the Insurers computers will then check the DVLA database before providing a quote?

The above will start fairly shortly.

If you don’t enter your Driving Licence Number then the vast majority of Insurers will not provide a quote and most van hire companies won’t offer a hire vehicle.

Access to the database will mean if you ask for a quote from an Insurer you were previously with in the last few years and you provide your driving licence number which shows up some driving convictions you did not declare. Then many Insurers will present you with a bill to pay the difference in premium you should have paid.

It’s set to cut the cost of honest drivers who declare their convictions correctly around £15 a year.

telegraph.co.uk/finance/pers … by-15.html

Are you also away that the majority of Insurers will check your credit file when you ask for a quote, this is to establish you do exist and the addresses match up. It’s generally a soft check eg it does not show up to banks etc when they access your credit worthyness. If you’re putting in a different name or dropping one of your names there will be Insurers who will not be offering a quotes. Also many Insurers will also be noting the IP address (As they do with most quotes) and storing the data along with the vehicle reg etc.

It’s worth bearing in mind most Insurers also subscribe to Insurance Hunter database which is used to detect a lot of frauds by comparing different databases and also differences in forms such as applications or claims forms which are compared against the data such as names etc you’ve supplied on other forms to other Insurers.

experian.co.uk/consumer-info … unter.html

It’s not wise to under estimate Insurers, computers mean they can check data very easily

43

Right well today I rang my insurer (Autonet underwritten by Ageas) and told them what had happened. Very helpful lad answered all my questions…

The fact I was in an accident will NOT affect my policy WITH autonet until renewal. So I don’t have to pay any extra now. He said from experience it DOES affect your premium but NOT as much as if I had had an accident in MY vehicle. He said SOME insurers word the question about ‘any accident’ differently, i.e. some specifically don’t ask for work/company vehicle accidents, and some ask for all accidents. It will be a matter of doing some leg work at renewal time and finding the cheapest among those that don’t ask. Comparison sites ALL ask for ALL accidents because they quote from all companies.

Most worryingly he said I could potentially lose ALL my NCD, or just this years. He said this is down to the underwriter and is done on a case by case basis.

I hope this helps anyone in a similar situation.

44

I’ve also just done a compare the market quote with the accident declared and assuming I’d lose this years no claims and there are 5 for considerably less than I’m paying now!

45

side stepping a little .

if you write your own car off .(no damage to any other party) your only 3rd party is there any reason you need to inform them if your not making any type of claim ■■

46

nick2008:
side stepping a little .

if you write your own car off .(no damage to any other party) your only 3rd party is there any reason you need to inform them if your not making any type of claim ■■

Hiya …i’d say nothing you,ve not made a claim,
John

47

3300John:

nick2008:
side stepping a little .

if you write your own car off .(no damage to any other party) your only 3rd party is there any reason you need to inform them if your not making any type of claim ■■

Hiya …i’d say nothing you,ve not made a claim,
John

:wink:

48

Depends on your insurance terms and conditions.
When you phone up for a quote, they normally say something along the lines off;
Have you ever been involved in an accident, fault or non fault.

49

I was involved in a non fault accident some time ago, i did some quotes disclosing it and some without disclosure of it, and they loaded the premium a little on the quotes that i dislosed it,(robbing gits) No guesses to if i disclosed it or not to my actual insurer at the time, theives is what they are IMO

And no if i had an accident fault or non fault in a company vehicle i would not disclose it to my private car insurer as IMO it has sweet FA to do with them, nor should it have any adverse effect on your private motor insurance

50

mattf789:
Right well today I rang my insurer (Autonet underwritten by Ageas) and told them what had happened. Very helpful lad answered all my questions…

The fact I was in an accident will NOT affect my policy WITH autonet until renewal. So I don’t have to pay any extra now. He said from experience it DOES affect your premium but NOT as much as if I had had an accident in MY vehicle. He said SOME insurers word the question about ‘any accident’ differently, i.e. some specifically don’t ask for work/company vehicle accidents, and some ask for all accidents. It will be a matter of doing some leg work at renewal time and finding the cheapest among those that don’t ask. Comparison sites ALL ask for ALL accidents because they quote from all companies.

Most worryingly he said I could potentially lose ALL my NCD, or just this years. He said this is down to the underwriter and is done on a case by case basis.

I hope this helps anyone in a similar situation.

Most of what they’ve told you is correct, they’ve miss informed you about the no claims bonus.

No claims bonus is earned by not making a claim on your own policy (The hints in the name), your no claims bonus on your private car would not be affected by a claim you make on any other policy.

People are often surprised when they lose some of their no claims bonus when their car (Covered by the same policy as the no claims bonus) is say damaged in a hit and run which the customer would regard as being a non fault claim. You lose part of your no claims bonus for a claim where your Insurer cannot recover their outlay from another party (Which they would not be able to do in a hit and run).

Insurance staff often explain it to customers in such a situation that “It’s a no claims bonus, it’s not a no blames bonus”.

Once again your no claims bonus on your own car would not be affected by a claim you make on a different policy whether it’s a work vehicle or another vehicle you own and insure separately. They may decide to apply a loading to your policy for being in an accident (Whether a fault or non fault accident) but any such loading would still have whatever no claims bonus you have deducted from it.

It’s also common practice not to apply loadings whether they be for an accident on another policy or even a claim (Whether fault or not) or a conviction at the next renewal, very few if any Insurers would apply such a load mid way through your policy

51

mattf789:
Right well today I rang my insurer (Autonet underwritten by Ageas) and told them what had happened. Very helpful lad answered all my questions…

The fact I was in an accident will NOT affect my policy WITH autonet until renewal. So I don’t have to pay any extra now. He said from experience it DOES affect your premium but NOT as much as if I had had an accident in MY vehicle. He said SOME insurers word the question about ‘any accident’ differently, i.e. some specifically don’t ask for work/company vehicle accidents, and some ask for all accidents. It will be a matter of doing some leg work at renewal time and finding the cheapest among those that don’t ask. Comparison sites ALL ask for ALL accidents because they quote from all companies.

Most worryingly he said I could potentially lose ALL my NCD, or just this years. He said this is down to the underwriter and is done on a case by case basis.

I hope this helps anyone in a similar situation.

Most of what they’ve told you is correct, they’ve miss informed you about the no claims bonus.

No claims bonus is earned by not making a claim on your own policy (The hints in the name), your no claims bonus on your private car would not be affected by a claim you make on any other policy.

People are often surprised when they lose some of their no claims bonus when their car (Covered by the same policy as the no claims bonus) is say damaged in a hit and run which the customer would regard as being a non fault claim. You lose part of your no claims bonus for a claim where your Insurer cannot recover their outlay from another party (Which they would not be able to do in a hit and run).

Insurance staff often explain it to customers in such a situation that “It’s a no claims bonus, it’s not a no blames bonus”.

Once again your no claims bonus on your own car would not be affected by a claim you make on a different policy whether it’s a work vehicle or another vehicle you own and insure separately. They may decide to apply a loading to your policy for being in an accident (Whether a fault or non fault accident) but any such loading would still have whatever no claims bonus you have deducted from it.

It’s also common practice not to apply loadings whether they be for an accident on another policy or even a claim (Whether fault or not) or a conviction at the next renewal, very few if any Insurers would apply such a load mid way through your policy

52

May have been mentioned, sometimes they contact you if they know you have. Like if you make a claim via solicitors.

53

thecouch:

mattf789:
Right well today I rang my insurer (Autonet underwritten by Ageas) and told them what had happened. Very helpful lad answered all my questions…

The fact I was in an accident will NOT affect my policy WITH autonet until renewal. So I don’t have to pay any extra now. He said from experience it DOES affect your premium but NOT as much as if I had had an accident in MY vehicle. He said SOME insurers word the question about ‘any accident’ differently, i.e. some specifically don’t ask for work/company vehicle accidents, and some ask for all accidents. It will be a matter of doing some leg work at renewal time and finding the cheapest among those that don’t ask. Comparison sites ALL ask for ALL accidents because they quote from all companies.

Most worryingly he said I could potentially lose ALL my NCD, or just this years. He said this is down to the underwriter and is done on a case by case basis.

I hope this helps anyone in a similar situation.

Most of what they’ve told you is correct, they’ve miss informed you about the no claims bonus.

No claims bonus is earned by not making a claim on your own policy (The hints in the name), your no claims bonus on your private car would not be affected by a claim you make on any other policy.

People are often surprised when they lose some of their no claims bonus when their car (Covered by the same policy as the no claims bonus) is say damaged in a hit and run which the customer would regard as being a non fault claim. You lose part of your no claims bonus for a claim where your Insurer cannot recover their outlay from another party (Which they would not be able to do in a hit and run).

Insurance staff often explain it to customers in such a situation that “It’s a no claims bonus, it’s not a no blames bonus”.

Once again your no claims bonus on your own car would not be affected by a claim you make on a different policy whether it’s a work vehicle or another vehicle you own and insure separately. They may decide to apply a loading to your policy for being in an accident (Whether a fault or non fault accident) but any such loading would still have whatever no claims bonus you have deducted from it.

It’s also common practice not to apply loadings whether they be for an accident on another policy or even a claim (Whether fault or not) or a conviction at the next renewal, very few if any Insurers would apply such a load mid way through your policy

Amazing how Matt was told incorrectly about the most important and valuable thing about private car insurance, a full NCB.
This is why its best not to give them a inch. They just make up a quote depending on which way the wind is blowing.

If you haven’t claimed on your car insurance then you haven’t had a accident, that’s all they need to know.

54

You have to lead your insurance company, not the other way around.
You are paying for a service, they seem to forget this, this service is to ensure that you are legally driving on the highways and to ensure that compensation is paid to you or and a third party if the need arises.

YOU are paying THEM…THEY are providing a service that you are legally obliged to purchase…I have always played it this way, it may have caused me problems, but it is my money…I never let them forget that.
I always state that I am not 100% in my memory when it comes to details, claims and history of motoring offences etc. as I am human, not machine…Not had a problem yet :wink: Information and the reliability of such works both ways.

55

Out of curiosity, what would happen to me if I had a bump in the lorry? My company is self insured. Would I have to inform my car and bike insurance?

56

Out of curiosity, what would happen to me if I had a bump in the lorry? My company is self insured. Would I have to inform my car and bike insurance? Oh… and why am I posting two replies?

57

sweepster:
Out of curiosity, what would happen to me if I had a bump in the lorry? My company is self insured. Would I have to inform my car and bike insurance?

Are you sure your employer is genuinely self insured eg they have lodged a deposit with the government and pay all of their own claims or have their own captive insurer?

They more likely to have a policy providing just third party only cover where your employer pay for their own damage claims and the Insurer pay claims from third parties. Your employer may also pay claims from third parties up to a certain amount eg £5k with the Insurer paying the balance.

There are some companies eg a lot of the bus companies who use the (Genuinely) self Insure or use the method in the last paragraph but pay an Insurer (Generally Axa) to handle all of the administration of third party claims against them.

The answer to your question is that if you’re asked a question that asks about accidents, claims or losses and it does not limit the question to just your private vehicles then you should answer the question truthfully. If you don’t then you run the risk of non disclosing and the possible consequences this entails.

To be clear, Insurers are generally concerned about accidents or incidents that would generally be covered and claimed for on an insurance policy. They would not normally expect you to declare you scratching your wing mirror on a loading bay and similar such incidents