Accident Claims
In the case of a car accident, determining the liability and fault is the most complex part. In some scenarios, both parties may be equally at fault and share responsibility for the car accident, a situation known as partial fault claims. When shared responsibility exists, it’s challenging to document evidence, demonstrate losses and determine the impact on your no-claim bonus.
However, it’s vital to understand how insurers handle partial fault claims and help policyholders avoid unnecessary increases in insurance premiums. In this blog, we’ll discuss how partial fault claims may impact your no-claim bonus.
A partial fault claim is a situation that arises when both parties are partially responsible for the accident. This situation is common in the case of rear-end collisions, where one vehicle crashes into the rear end of the other vehicle. In such circumstances, insurers will allocate a certain percentage of fault to each party.
A no-claim bonus is a reward given by the insurance company to the policyholder for not making any claim during the policy period, leading to discounts on your car insurance premiums. When you make a claim, you may lose your no-claim bonus.
Partial fault claims impact your no-claim bonus in a similar way as full fault claims do. If you’re partially at fault, there are high chances that insurers may reduce your no-claim bonus. However, the impact depends on the percentage of responsibility assigned to you and the terms of your insurance policy. Here’s how a partial fault accident may impact your NCB.
If you’re partially at fault, your insurer may still reduce your no-claim bonus. For instance, if you have accumulated six years of NCB and make a partial fault claim, your insurer may reduce your no-claim bonus to four years. Henceforth, you may lose two years of your accumulated discount and bonus.
If you don't have no-claim protection, any claim you make after an accident will lead to losing your no-claim bonus. But if you have full claims protection, your insurer may allow you to initiate one to two claims during a specified period without impacting your no-claim bonus.
Any loss or reduction in your no-claim bonus may cause a hike in your insurance premiums. If the accident is partially your fault, insurers may consider it as an increased risk and may, therefore, increase your insurance premiums.
When making a partial fault claim, both the drivers involved in the accident are required to make excess payments, which is the amount you agree to pay for the cost of the claim. This excess payment can cause you a financial blow, the effect of which may extend beyond losing your no-claim bonus.
Many insurance companies in the UK offer protection policies that allow policyholders to make a few claims without reducing their NCB. While protection policies provide peace of mind to the policyholders, even with a no-claim protection, your insurance premium may still increase if you make a partial fault claim. This is because insurers consider the risk of the accident even if your NCB is unaffected. To get a comprehensive understanding of how your no-claim bonus may be affected, you can call the NFU mutual claims number.
1. Negotiate Fault Assessment
If you think the accident was not your fault, you can fight to reduce your share of liability by providing evidence, such as eyewitness statements, videos, photographs, etc. By submitting additional evidence, you can prove your innocence and minimise the percentage of fault assigned to you.
2. Settlement Agreements
Settling outside of insurance can help you preserve your no-claim bonus. However, you must adopt diligence and careful negotiation when you and the other party agree to resolve the issue without involving your insurers. Once you make any payments out of your pocket, you cannot recover it from your insurer.
3. Review Your Insurance Policy to Understand NCB Clauses
Every insurance company has different terms and conditions regarding NCB protection and making partial fault claims. For instance, some insurance companies may have strict rules for punishing drivers for partial fault accidents. Therefore, you must thoroughly review your insurance policy to understand the impact of partial fault claims on your no-claim bonus.
4. Add NCB Protection
Many drivers in the UK opt for a no-claim protection to safeguard their NCB. Adding no-claim bonus protection allows you to make one or two claims without losing your hard-earned discounts and bonuses. If you’ve accumulated discounts over several years, consider a no-claim protection to protect your NCB.
If you believe you’ve been wrongly assigned a percentage of fault, you can dispute the insurer’s decision and fight for a fair fault assessment.
Gather additional evidence to support your claim, including photographs, videos, eyewitness testimony and dashcam footage.
Get in touch with your insurer to discuss why you think the fault assessment has been unfair. This may result in a re-evaluation of evidence.
Consider seeking help from a legal expert if you’re unable to settle a dispute with your insurer.
Dealing with the complexities of a partial fault claim can be challenging, especially when it comes to understanding their impact on your hard-earned discounts and bonuses. Even if you’re partially at fault, your no-claim bonus may still get impacted, resulting in increased insurance premiums. Therefore, you must seek expert advice by calling the NFU mutual claims number to understand the specific impact of partial fault claims on your NCB and know your rights.
Having professional guidance by your side can make a significant difference in protecting your rights and interests. Additionally, with the right steps and legal advice, you can effectively handle the challenges involved in the partial fault claims process and get deserving compensation without reducing your no-claim bonus.