If your car is damaged due to an incident, it’s important to inform your insurer of what happened as soon as possible, even if you were not at fault. If the damage was caused as a result of a collision with another driver, make sure to exchange the following details but avoid admitting fault:
- Name and address
- Telephone number
- Car registration number
- Insurance company
- Insurance Policy number
Depending on the circumstances, you may also need to contact an Garda Síochána to have an incident number recorded. if you are looking for more specifics right after an accident, read our blog on ‘What to do in the event of a car Accident’.
If you’re an AA Car Insurance customer looking to make a claim, you can contact our dedicated AA Claims Assist on 0818 467 101.
What should I do in the event of an accident?
If you are involved in an accident, your first priority should be to make sure that you and anyone else involved are attended to if hurt. Once this has been done, exchange insurance and contact details with any third party involved and contact an Garda Síochána to obtain an incident number.
It’s important at this stage that you do not admit any fault for the incident, even if you believe you have caused it.
What if the accident was not my fault?
If you have been involved in an incident and were not at fault, you have two options regarding how to proceed. You can either claim directly from the third party’s insurer or your own comprehensive car insurance policy.
If you choose to do the latter, then your insurer will recoup its costs from the third party. However, it’s worth noting that the incident will count as a claim on your policy until your insurer recovers any money it has paid out. As a result, your no-claims bonus could be temporarily affected, and you have to pay your policy excess.
What if the accident was my fault?
If you were at fault for the incident, then advise your insurer of this as soon as possible following the incident. Once this is done, your insurer will arrange to cover any costs the third party has experienced and, if you have a comprehensive policy in place, arrange for the costs of repairing your own vehicle to be covered.
If you have third party, fire and theft or third party cover in place, then your insurer will cover the costs of any third party but not any costs associated with damage to your own vehicle.
Whether or not you were at fault for the incident, it’s important to note that if the other person(s) involved in the accident, their solicitor, or their insurer tries to contact you, do not respond in any way. Instead, direct them to your insurer or pass any electronic/written communication on to your insurer as soon as possible.
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