Making a Claim

To make a claim with Call Wiser, simply call 0333 003 3270 and one of our advisers will ask a few basic questions about the incident to process your claim.

If you are reporting a loss of personal items or an accident to your vehicle, you may be required to show evidence of this through pictures on a camera, smart phone or through CCTV.

Once we have your details, the information will be passed onto our claims partner, Crusader. If the claim is the fault of the policyholder or due to vandalism, their claim will be passed through to the customer’s insurer’s claims service.

In the event of a non-fault accident, Crusader will try not to claim from the policyholder’s insurer but rather the third party’s insurance of the driver who is at fault.

In the event of a loss, the policyholder can contact the claims department of their insurer. The claim’s number and procedure will be provided in the policy documents that we send to the customer.

What is a Claim?

By paying for car insurance every year, you will be able to make a claim to your insurer if you are involved in a motor accident and the insurance company will pay financially towards some of the damages.

If you are involved in a car accident, the potential costs can run in the thousands of pounds to pay for repairs, replacements, legal fees, medical fees and potential loss of income. So by having insurance in place, other than a legal requirement, you are able to pay every month or every year for cover and then receive help from your insurer to cover any damages.

You must notify your insurance provider if you have been involved in an accident because failing to do so could lead to you being refused cover in the future. If you are regularly involved in accidents, the insurers will need to amend your policy so having this information is very important. Most insurers set a time limit for how long you can make a claim so the sooner you can contact your insurer, the better.

Examples of car insurance claims include:

• Fender Benders: A minor collision between two drivers that can cause physical damages to the vehicles and personal injury.
• Major Collisions: Involves a large motor accident with two or more vehicles and can lead to huge damages to the vehicles and potentially needing complete replacement, known as a ‘write off.’
• Windscreen: It is common for windscreens to get cracks due to cold weather, falling rocks or debris. This may require fixing or completely replacing.
• Theft/Vandalism: You can make a claim to your insurer for your vehicle being stolen or vandalised and ask for a replacement to be provided.
• Loss: You can report your personal belongings being stolen out of your car such as your mobile phone or laptop.
• Fire and Flooding: You can claim for fire or flooding to your vehicle provided that you have the appropriate level of cover available.

How Much Can You Claim For?

The amount you are allowed to claim for will depend on the level of cover you have purchased when you applied for car insurance. There are different levels of cover that come with different prices.

The most basic level of cover is ‘third party only’ which means that your insurance claims can pay towards any damages that you imposed on other vehicles or pedestrians but this will not provide any cover for repairs to your own vehicle.

The next level is ‘third party, fire and theft’ which provides the same level of third party cover but also allows you to claim for any fires and if your car is stolen.

The most cover you can get is ‘fully comprehensive’ which allows you to claim for third parties, fire, floods, theft and also any damages to your own vehicle and physical state.

There will be some things that you are unable to claim for, unless you have the cover available. By taking out a policy through Call Wiser, you are automatically provided with free claim assistance, handbag and wallet, mobile phone and gadget cover.

How Does Excess Cover Work?

When setting up your insurance policy, you will be required to have a level of excess cover. This ‘excess cover’ is the sum of money you are required to pay towards a claim if you are involved in an accident. Usually consisting of a few hundred pounds, you do not need to pay it up front, but only when you are making a claim.

The excess is a way of sharing the balance between you and the insurance company. So if your vehicle is involved in a road accident, the driver must pay the amount of the excess before the garage will release the vehicle and the insurance company will cover the outstanding balance.

Excess Example:

Your policy has a £200 excess
There is £1,000 worth of damage to your vehicle
You pay the garage £200 to make the repairs
Your insurance company will pay the outstanding £800.

How Will A Claim Affect My No Claims Bonus?

Some motorists will resist making a claim because it can negatively impact their no claims bonus. This refers to the discount of up to 65% on their car insurance if they drive for a minimum of 5 years without making a claim. So if you make a claim, there is the risk that your insurer will no longer honour your no claims bonus.

However, it is hard to prevent making a claim for so many years, especially when we spend a lot of time on the road. Fortunately, we work with insurance companies that may allow you to make up to two claims a year or they may slightly reduce your discount. Furthermore, if you are involved in an accident and can prove it was not your fault, it will not affect your no claims bonus.

For minor scratches or dings, it is worth paying for these out of your own pocket and avoid having to make a claim. But for a potential claim that could cost thousands of pounds, it would be sensible to try claim this from your insurer.

How Can My Claim Get Rejected?

Around 5% of all car insurance gets rejected in the UK and here are the most common reasons:

• An ‘at fault claim’ means that you cannot claim from any other driver or person involved in the accident and you bare the responsibility. For instance, if you were involved in an accident due to drink driving, you would not be able to claim for any repairs to your vehicle.
• Claims for non-disclosure are likely to be rejected because you didn’t make your insurer aware of relevant information. For example, if you have modifications to your vehicle such as new alloys or spoilers and these are damaged, it is important that you mentioned to your insurer that you had these or you will not be able to claim for any repairs to them.
• Fronting is where you use another driver’s name as the main driver to reduce the cost of insurance. This is typical for cars that belong to young drivers but use their parent’s name as the main driver. This is illegal and insurers will not approve claims for fronting. (Source: The Guardian)
• Driving illegally – If you drive without a valid license or MOT, you are therefore not legal to drive on the roads and the insurance companies will not value your claims in this instance.
• Leaving valuables in your car will encourage theft so if you mention to your insurer that you left your mobile phone and laptop in your vehicle overnight and it was stolen, they may not honour your claim. (Source: The Telegraph)
• Classes of Use – This refers to the purpose of your insurance which you state to your insurer. If you state you only use your vehicle for social and domestic purposes but you are involved in an accident on a long commute to work, your claim may not be eligible.

How Can I Challenge My Claims?

If your claims are rejected and you think the outcome is unfair, you can challenge them in the following ways.

Money Advice Service recommends that you double-check the details of the incident that you provided. You can also check your documents and the terms and conditions of your policy. If there is anything ambiguous or not clear, this is something that you should raise with your insurer who might change their decision.

In addition, you can contact the Financial Ombudsman Service who will investigate your claim and the insurance company further. Appropriate steps may be taken to help your claim or you may receive compensation if successful. However be mindful that the Financial Ombudsman Service will only consider a complaint if you’ve already exhausted the complaints procedure of the company you’re complaining to.

For any claims, our team of experienced advisers at Call Wiser are happy to help. Simply call us today on 0333 003 3270 and we will be happy to answer any questions about your claim.