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Will a non-fault accident affect my insurance?

A question commonly asked, yet one which only usually comes to mind in the circumstance – Will a non-fault accident affect my insurance?

36,000+ happy drivers with Auto Claims Assist

A non-fault accident can and may have an effect on your car insurance

If at present you’re searching for information about non-fault accidents and wondering will a non-fault accident affect my insurance, it’s likely that you may have found yourself in this situation.

Rightly so at this point; wondering does a no fault accident affect your insurance is a very sensible question to be asking because the short answer is: It depends. But it certainly can do, yes.

However, this will depend on what you do after the accident.

Calling your own insurance company first after the accident is the option that will likely affect your insurance in a negative way. It seems like instinct but is not the most beneficial option.

Contacting an accident management company first after a non-fault accident will help to avoid as much effect as possible to your insurance and is the most beneficial option for drivers who find themselves not at fault.

If you are the non-fault driver in a road traffic accident, it isn’t a fair outcome if you should have to face a range of consequences from an accident that you were not the cause of.

For this reason, the accident management market has provided a valuable, outsourced and independent claims handling solution since the 1980’s. This is referred to as either Accident Claims Management, Accident Management or also Credit Hire.

The answer to will a non-fault accident affect my insurance comes down to which option you choose as your next step.

On this page

Choosing your accident route

If a credit hire company is better

Who is eligible for credit hire?

Will your insurance go up?

Do I lose my no claims?

Do I Have To Pay an Excess?

Do I Have To Tell My Insurance?

How to avoid affecting my insurance

Choosing your route after a non-fault accident

The initial reaction that a lot of people have after a non-fault accident is to first speak to their own insurance company. It is necessary for your insurance company to be updated if you have been involved in an accident, even if the accident wasn’t your fault.

However, It’s not necessary to contact them as your first point of contact after the accident. If you call them first, an insurance company’s common process will usually funnel you quickly through to their own accident claims line and begin initiating the claims process against your own insurance policy.

At this point, option one (as previously mentioned) may have already been initiated and you will have chosen the route most likely to affect your own insurance.

The best route after a non-fault accident is option two - An Accident Management Company.

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If the accident wasn’t your fault, you are eligible to start a non-fault claim.

Start my claim online Call us 0330 128 1407

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If you contact an Accident Management Company first

If you contact an Accident Management Company first, you can discuss your non-fault accident with an independent, experienced, dedicated claims handler.

They’ll be able to explain the benefits of choosing a credit hire company after a non-fault accident as well as the start to finish process. This will provide you with a full understanding of how accident management works and exactly what to do after a car accident.

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How an accident management company compares to your own insurance company

As an overview, we’ve created a breakdown of how an Accident Management Company, like Auto Claims Assist, compare to your own insurance company when processing a non-fault accident claim.

No Policy Excess to pay on a claim? By not claiming on your own policy and only against the other drivers, there’s no excess to pay on the claim.
Keep your no claims bonus? We leave your own policy unaffected as a result of only claiming through the at-fault insurance company.
A pending claim to affect next premiums? Leaving your policy unaffected, there are no pending claims on your policy which will higher the price if your renewal is upcoming.
All fees billed to the other party? There is no cost to you for our service or any of it’s benefits and we claim back all of the related costs and expenses to the at-fault parties insurance.
Hire Vehicle Provided? We ensure that you are guaranteed a hire vehicle from as early as 4 hours after the incident and for as long as it is required by you.
The hire vehicle to be comparable? Taking it one step further, we ensure that your hire vehicle is a comparable spec to your own vehicle.
Manufacturer-approved repairs? Our 400+ garage repair network covers all manufacturers and promises manufacturer-approved repairs and parts.
The obvious choice.
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No Policy Excess to pay on a claim? Your own insurance company will initiate the claim through your own policy, charging you your full policy excess.
Keep your no claims bonus? It will depend on your insurance and policy, but it is common for insurance companies to remove your no claims bonus.
A pending claim to affect next premiums? Your own insurance will list the claim as ‘pending’ until resolved, which you will potentially drastically notice on your upcoming renewal.
All fees billed to the other party? Not all fees and bills are re-claimed. If you were injured, for example, your insurance will likely not assist with losses and costs associated with this.
Hire Vehicle Provided? Your insurance may provide a courtesy car, but it isn’t guaranteed for the full duration that you’re off the road and you may not get it straight away.
The hire vehicle to be comparable? Unless you have a specific policy in place, your standard policy will not offer a vehicle of the same size or spec as your own.
Manufacturer-approved repairs? With the outcome of saving money, your insurer will send your vehicle to an ‘insurance-approved’ repair shop, where they are unlikely to use any manufacturer approved repairs or parts..
Don’t settle for less.

No caller wait time

If the accident wasn’t your fault, you are eligible to start a non-fault claim.

Start my claim online Call us 0330 128 1407

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If a credit hire company is better, why isn’t it the standard procedure for everyone?

An Accident Claims Management service with a Credit Hire Company (also known as an accident management company/accident claims management company) is an option that is open to anyone who is involved in a non-fault car accident.

It’s no secret that insurance companies naturally work toward keeping costs as low as possible when their customers are involved in an accident.

The non-fault driver’s best interests

The Accident Management market works with the non-fault driver’s best interests in mind. This is done by delivering a service that they are entitled to when claiming the costs and losses from the at-fault driver’s insurance policy.

As the Accident Management market continues to be the better alternative for non-fault drivers, the insurance market works toward the control and management of non-fault claims and processes.

This results in a sea of information directing both fault and non-fault drivers to their own insurance companies as the first point of contact after a road traffic accident.

Eve

Trustpilot

"Amazing service, they handled everything and kept us updated throughout the whole process. It was easy to get in touch with them for an update, they explained everything clearly, sorted out our hire car and no-fault claim. Would definitely recommend using them rather than going direct with your car insurance company. Great experience"

Start my claim online Call us 0330 128 1407

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Understanding fault in an accident and who is eligible for a credit hire company

Road Traffic Accidents aren’t always simple. Establishing fault can occasionally be a complex procedure.

The condition of working with a Credit Hire Company

In order to have access to Accident Management Services, you must be the non-fault party in the incident. This is because an accident management company claims back the costs from the at-fault driver’s insurance policy.

We have developed an extensive guide for what to do in a car accident, which includes step-by-step evidence collection guidance to assist with how to prove an accident wasn’t your fault.

In road traffic accident terms, ‘non-fault‘ is referring to the driver(s) who was not the cause of the car collision.

Examples of some common scenarios of a driver being ‘non-fault’ would include:

If another driver pulls out without the right of way, in front of you, causing you to collide with them.
If another driver hits the back of your vehicle, possibly due to lack of attention or a disregard for stopping distances.

A ‘non fault accident claim’ refers to the claim process for the driver who is not at fault in a car collision.

The non-fault accident claim process differs from an at-fault claims process. The non-fault driver will claim the accident costs back from the at-fault driver’s insurance company and policy.

A fault claim is processed on the side of the party who is at fault. The fault claim process will claim all of the costs back against the fault party’s insurance company and policy.

However, some insurance companies may also deem an accident claim as ‘fault’ if some scenarios lead to a failure of the cost recuperation from the third party.

Although you do require to be non-fault to use an accident management company, it’s a good idea to speak to an accident management company first to understand your situation. Accident Management Companies are non-fault accident experts and help to claim ALL costs associated with the incident.

No caller wait time

If the accident wasn’t your fault, you are eligible to start a non-fault claim.

Start my claim online Call us 0330 128 1407

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Will your insurance go up if the accident is not your fault?

Your insurance can go up in 2 ways after an accident that is not your fault.

Firstly, If you choose to claim directly through your own insurance policy rather than working with an accident management company when the accident was not your fault, you may receive a heavy increase when your next renewal is due as a result of the pending claim that is against your policy.

As the accident claim has not yet concluded, your own policy still has the potential of becoming liable for the accident and you’ll need to pay this increase in order to continue your insurance policy.

Secondly, once the claim is concluded you will be officially documented as the non-fault driver. Although your policy reflects the accident as non-fault, some insurance companies will still consider a non-fault accident a risk. Therefore they calculate an increased insurance premium based on their risk calculations of your policy.

Understand how your insurance may go up after the accident →

Emmanuel

Trustpilot

"My car was hit from behind when I wasn’t even in the car. I honestly cannot emphasise how brilliant this company has been. I stumbled across Auto Claims Assist as I really didn’t want to go through my insurance and lose my excess and have my premiums go up. I read the reviews and went for it. Having been through the process and upon receiving my payout I cannot believe how easy it’s been."

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Do I lose my no claims if it’s not my fault?

If you process an accident claim that wasn’t your fault through your own insurance company, there is a high possibility that you will lose your no claims bonus and discount. At the minimum, it’s common to lose at least a some of your no claims bonus.

However, an accident management company’s claim process will avoid the initial claim being processed against your own policy. This then avoids a loss to your no claims bonus on your own policy.

Why you lose your no claims bonus after an accident that was not your fault here →

No caller wait time

If the accident wasn’t your fault, you are eligible to start a non-fault claim.

Start my claim online Call us 0330 128 1407

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Do I Have To Pay Excess If It Was Not My Fault?

If the accident was not your fault, you will need to pay your policy excess if you choose to process a non-fault claim directly through your insurance company.

If instead, however, you work with an accident claims management company for your non-fault accident claim, you will not have to pay any excess or costs.

As part of the accident claims management service, the claim will be processed directly to the fault party insurance company.

Learn more about your excess when dealing with a non-fault accident →

Hannah C

Trustpilot

"Supportive, understanding, professional and considerate. I would whole heartedly recommend Auto Claims Assist if you’ve had an RTA, they handled everything from start to finish at a really stressful time for me. Great work and good to see a company taking on the insurance giants and beating them, hands down, at their own game and being on the side of the client."

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Do I Have To Tell The Insurance About The Accident?

It doesn’t matter if the accident was your fault or was not your fault; the accident must be brought to the attention of your insurance provider. This is still the case even if you do not plan on making a claim.

However, this doesn’t mean that the most beneficial thing to do is contact your insurance company as the first point of contact after a non-fault accident. In fact, after a non-fault accident, the most beneficial first contact is an accident claims management company. They can expertly manage your claim as an independent party who is on your side.

An accident management company, such as Auto Claims Assist, will ensure that your insurance provider is aware of the accident.

No caller wait time

If the accident wasn’t your fault, you are eligible to start a non-fault claim.

Start my claim online Call us 0330 128 1407

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Working with a Credit Hire Company to avoid worrying will a non-fault accident affect my insurance

From the options that are available to you after a non-fault accident, the accident management/credit hire option offers various benefits over contacting and processing a claim directly through your own insurance company.

It’s also a clear option for drivers who are worried ‘will a non-fault accident affect my insurance?’.

In addition to a range of convenient benefits after a non-fault accident, choosing to work with a credit hire company also makes the process much more simple and stress-free.

Our team at Auto Claims Assist are trained and experienced industry professionals who manage successful non-fault accident claims 6 days a week. We have established a rating of 'Excellent' on TrustPilot throughout the years as a result of our award-winning service.

Getting started with a credit hire company is simple. After the accident, simply start by…

We have a professional New Claims Team ready to collect all of the details about the accident before initiating your non-fault claims process.

They will then explain the next steps in detail to you, ensuring that you are fully aware of what comes next in order to successfully claim against the at-fault driver.

With modern car safety measures improving constantly, it’s common for modern cars to be deemed as ‘unroadworthy’ due to impact methods in a car’s structural design, leaving you stranded at the side of the road.

We have our own recovery service that will prioritise you and your passenger’s safety at the roadside. Meanwhile, we will secure your vehicle along with any parts that may have come away from the vehicle in the accident.

We pride ourselves on fast, priority vehicle recovery.

If your car is instantly deemed un-roadworthy, one of our hire staff will organise a replacement hire vehicle that is a comparable spec or better than your own vehicle.

A comparable vehicle spec is an important aspect of the accident management service, reducing the inconvenience of a non-fault car accident in your and your family’s daily lives.

Similarly to our recovery service, we take great pride in providing a same-day vehicle replacement service after your accident.

While your vehicle is awaiting repair, or in between your vehicle proceeding through the repair and Bodyshop process, it is stored in one of our highly secure vehicle storage facilities.

You’re able to have further peace of mind knowing that your vehicle isn’t located where further damages could occur from weather, other vehicles or vandals.

You may be entitled to claim compensation for your injuries and loss of earnings.

Auto Claims Assist have a panel of solicitors with over 30 years of experience in dealing with these types of claims.

They will provide immediate legal representation and support, handling your personal injury case with professionalism and compassion.

Unlike many insurance companies that establish ‘insurance-approved’ repair garages only, we have built up a 400+ nationwide accident repair network that includes manufacturer-approved repairs and parts.

Our large and established network allows us to provide you with:

The security of a manufacturer-approved repair
The use of manufacturer-approved parts
The peace of mind with manufacturer-approved repair processes
Repair availability for exceptional turnaround times
A choice of locality for your repair

Make Auto Claims Assist your first point of contact after a non-fault accident

Our new claims team can answer any questions or concerns you have and can start your non-fault claim when you’re ready to.

Arek

Trustpilot

"The accident wasn't my fault. After a whole week of calling, I found this company on the Internet. To my surprise, after two conversations and sending a few photos of the accident, within one day I had a replacement car and the case and repairs of my car began. Someone often called me and informed me about the progress of the case. I highly recommend this company if you want to handle a stressful situation without stress!!!! Thank You"

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