Your vehicle damage
Am I entitled to a courtesy vehicle?
If your vehicle can be repaired and the damage is covered by your policy, our approved repairers will give you a courtesy vehicle once the repairs have started.
If your vehicle isn’t driveable, our approved repairer will provide you with a courtesy vehicle when your vehicle has been declared repairable and the repairs have started.
We cannot guarantee the courtesy vehicle will be adapted to any special needs or disability. If a vehicle is given it can only be used within the territorial limits. The courtesy vehicle is not intended to be a like for like replacement for your vehicle.
For cars you'll get a small hatchback
Van drivers will get a car-derived van
Your courtesy vehicle will also:
- Last for the duration of repairs
- Be covered under your insurance policy on the same terms and conditions as your vehicle (Comprehensive cover only)
- Comes with five litres of fuel
If your vehicle has been damaged beyond repair, you will not be given a courtesy vehicle, however if you have Hire Vehicle Cover, you may be entitled to a hire vehicle. The claims team will be in touch if this applies.
Can I use my own garage?
You are entitled to use your own repairer, however if the garage is not on our network:
- You will not be given a courtesy car
- You may be asked to provide more than 1 estimate
- Repairs are not guaranteed
- We may not be able to intervene if there are issues with your repairs.
- Additional excess may apply.
If you need to use your own garage for warranty or other reasons, many of our networks are manufacturer approved. Please let us know and we will look to if this is a possibility for you.
How long will the repairs take?
Unfortunately, we are unable to give an exact timescale on how long the repairs will take to complete as this depends on what repairs are needed and parts availability. The repairer will provide you with an estimated completion date and will keep you updated through the repair of your vehicle.
If you are looking for an update on repair progress, it's best to contact your repairer directly. Their information can be found on correspondence we sent you when we instructed them or you can find them in the Claims section within MyAccount.
Liability
What happens if the incident was my fault?
If you have Comprehensive cover, we'll:
- Arrange to get your vehicle repaired or start the total loss process.
- Contact anybody else involved and deal with their claim.
- Please tell anyone else involved in the accident to contact us as we may be able to help with the damage to their vehicle.
To help us process the claim as quickly as possible, please ask them to have your policy number and vehicle registration.
If you receive any correspondence from the other driver or their reps, please forward it to us immediately and we'll respond on your behalf.
I don't think this incident was my fault. Why do I have to pay my excess?
You're required to pay the excess whenever you make a claim. If the incident wasn't your fault you might be able to reclaim your excess back from the person responsible or their insurance company. Admiral Law also may be able to help you pursue losses not covered under your policy, such as excess, even if you don't have legal cover on your policy. Please contact us if this is something you want to consider and we can instruct them for you.
What if liability is in dispute?
Depending on the type of dispute, we may be able to make a quick decision based on previous claims of this nature. If it is more complex, we will gather any evidence that is available including damage images, witness statements etc. if necessary we may ask an investigator to contact you to take a formal statement. We then review all evidence and discuss with you what we feel our position is. On some occasions we may need to accept a shared responsibility for the accident.
Our primary duty is to you and we will support your position as far as possible on the basis of the evidence we hold. However, we must also consider the likely view of the Courts in respect of liability for the accident, and the viability/economics of settling the third-party claim out of Court, as opposed to incurring additional legal costs and expenses by allowing the matter to proceed to litigation.
Your policy
What do I need to tell my new insurer about the claim?
Most insurers will ask for your claim history. This includes any incident regardless of fault or if a claim was made. They will also ask for the total claim costs, if the No Claims Bonus was affected or not and if the claim has been settled or remains open. You can find all of this information in MyAccount.
What happens if my claim is not settled by the time I get to my next renewal?
Don't worry, we will still continue dealing with the claim for you. You would need to inform your new insurer of the ongoing claim. Once the matter has been settled, we will let you know so you can pass this information onto them.
How does my No Claims Bonus protection work?
- If this is your first claim, you will receive one strike against your No Claims Bonus protection.
- If you make two claims within three consecutive insurance terms, we will remove the protection.
- If you make three claims within three consecutive insurance terms, you will lose your protection and your No Claims Bonus will be reduced.
- If you have Guaranteed No Claims Bonus, you can make unlimited fault claims with no affect to your bonus.
Other commonly asked questions
How long will my claim take to settle?
As every claim is different, it's difficult to give an exact time frame. We'll make sure your claims experience is as quick and stress free as possible.
We will look to settle any claim for your vehicle as quickly as possible. If your vehicle is repairable and you are looking for an update on your booking in date or a courtesy vehicle, please contact your repairer directly. Their details will be on the correspondence we sent you at the start of your claim or you may find them in the Claims section within MyAccount.
If your repairer can’t help, please contact us. You can find all our contact methods on our claims page.
Any third party element of your claim can take a longer to settle and mean your claim remains open after your vehicle damage has been settled. We will look to keep you updated at every step possible and guide on timeframes where possible. If you are going through renewal, please advise your insurer that the claim is currently still open.
How do I contact you about my claim?
If you're looking for an update or to manage your claim online, you can do so in MyAccount where you can
- See a snapshot of all your claims and their status.
- Add information, images and evidence to your claim.
- Get contact details of all people involved on your claim.
If you are looking for an update on your vehicle repairs, booking in date or a courtesy vehicle, please contact your repairer directly. Their details will be on the correspondence we sent you at the start of your claim or you may find them in the Claims section within MyAccount.
If our suppliers can’t help, please contact us. You can find all our contact methods on our claims page.
What happens if I've incurred additional losses not covered by my policy?
If the accident was your fault and you've suffered losses that aren't covered by your insurance, you can't claim for them unless they're covered by alternative insurance.
If the accident was somebody else's fault you can claim your losses back directly from their insurer yourself.
Admiral Law also may be able to help you pursue losses not covered under your policy, such as excess, even if you don't have legal cover on your policy. Please contact us if this is something you want to consider and we can instruct them for you.