One of the most important things that you must do when taking out any insurance policy is to accurately answer all the questions asked during the application process. You must declare all information asked for. And during your policy, you must update your insurer of any changes to your circumstances.
Insurers need access to accurate information to price your policy accordingly. Providing inaccurate or misleading information can see your policy voided, cancelled or any claims you do need to make declined.
Declaring accidents when taking out motor insurance
When taking out any form of motor insurance policy, insurers will ask if you have been involved in any accidents in a previous time period (this may vary from insurer to insurer). For example, the last 3 years or the last 5 years.
And it is your responsibility to declare any accidents you have been involved in.
This will include both:
- Fault claims – a fault claim is one which you, the driver of the vehicle have been found to be liable for the damage caused. Or in some cases, a fault claim will be recorded if your insurer is unable to recoup all costs from a 3rd
- Non fault claims – A non-fault claim is one where liability for the accident lies with someone else and your insurer is able to recoup any costs from the liable party.
If you are involved in an accident, insurers will investigate and ultimately determine who was at fault for the accident.
And remember, records of all motor incidents reported to insurers (whether they have resulted in a claim or not) are stored in a central database, the Claims and Underwriting Exchange (CUE) which is managed by the Motor Insurer’s Bureau (MIB).
Insurers can run checks on this database to validate information provided on a policy.
Do I need to declare an accident I had in a company car when taking out personal insurance?
Yes, you will need to inform your insurer of any accidents which you have been involved in, in the time period that they request information for.
This will still apply if you had an accident in a company car or whilst driving any type of vehicle for work. And you will need to declare both fault and non-fault accidents/claims.
Failure to do so can see your insurance voided, cancelled or claims declined.
Getting the best value car insurance if you have been involved in an accident
Being involved in an accident, whether fault or non-fault, can have an impact on the price that you will be quoted for your insurance policy. So, if you have been involved in an accident, you may see that your car insurance premium rises.
You may need to shop around to find the best value car insurance for your needs. But we appreciate that this can be time consuming. So, you may want to consider working with an insurance broker. Insurance brokers are insurance experts. At Anthony Jones, we work with a wide range of insurers, and we’ve built up strong relationships with them over the years. This means we can usually get you a more competitive deal than you would be able to arrange yourself.
We can also help you understand the different types of cover which are available and help you get the insurance that meets your needs. And remember, we don’t charge you to shop around on your behalf. We are only paid commission by insurers when we place cover. If we don’t help you out – we don’t earn anything. Get in touch with us today and let us do the hard work for you.
