When you’ve had a car accident, making an insurance claim afterwards can be the source of a lot of stress. You may also feel uncertain about whether you’re meant to claim through your own insurer or the other driver’s. This depends on who is at fault in the car accident.
What Is A No Fault Accident?
In some situations, more than one person can be at fault in a car accident. In these instances, the fault is divided up between the drivers, and they are responsible for paying a percentage of the damages – depending on how much fault they have been allocated.
But if you are involved in a not at fault accident, this means that you weren’t responsible for the accident in any way and the other driver is fully at fault. In the case of a car accident that’s not your fault, the liability belongs completely to the at fault driver. Learn more about how it works here.
Claiming Insurance When Not At Fault
The at fault driver should cover the cost of your towing, repairs, and hire car. In an ideal situation, you should be able to make a claim through the at fault party’s insurer. However, this depends on whether the at fault driver is willing to cooperate with you, and whether they have an insurance policy in the first place.
In the event that you choose, or are unable, to lodge a claim through the at fault driver’s insurer, you may consider claiming through your own insurance company. Although you are not at fault, your claim may still have an impact on your premium and could affect any entitlement you have to a no claims bonus.
Keep in mind that the level of insurance cover you purchased will impact your claim and it’s always important to check what you’ve agreed to in your Product Disclosure Agreement (PDS). Depending on the optional extras you purchased as part of your insurance policy, you may or may not have access to a hire car through your insurer.
What Happens In A No Fault Accident?
When you are involved in a car accident that was not your fault, you have the right to be placed back into the position you were in before the accident. This means you are entitled to a like-for-like accident loan car for the entire duration that your car is being repaired, or in the event of total loss, until you receive settlement.
What To Do After A No Fault Car Accident
Always make sure you stop immediately if you’ve had a car accident – whether you’re at fault or not – and move your vehicle to a safe place if possible. Once you’ve made sure that nobody is hurt from the accident, you’ll need to collect evidence to prove you’re not at fault.
In addition to exchanging details with the at fault driver, you also need to take relevant photos and videos from the accident scene. If there are witnesses, it’s also a good idea to take down their information and get witness statements.
Get An Accident Replacement Vehicle
Right2Drive provides eligible drivers with a like-for-like vehicle to get back on the road quickly after an accident. Even if you don’t have an insurance policy, or you haven’t elected to have a rental car as an optional extra on your policy, you may still be eligible to receive one of our cars.
