Vehicle Repair Following A Non Fault Accident

So you have been involved in a non fault road traffic accident and your car is damaged, perhaps not road worthy.

What are your options in relation to accident damage repair's and route's to claim the related costs and losses. You will probably need to receive a hire car as well, what type of vehicle will I receive and where from, will it be a like for like hire car whilst my vehicle is being repaired or off the road should it of been written off. Well today we will look at available options given different insurance types.

So lets get started, a good thing to rember here is, if the accident is not your fault you have option of how you wish to progress the claim, firstly let's look at the common insurance route.

 You may wish to claim via your fully comprehensive policy should you benefit from such, if so, you will often be provided a replacement vehicle whilst your vehicle is off the road, however it is also common place to find at this point you will only be entitled to hire vehicle if your vehicle is deemed repairable, even then you may find you are only offered a basic small car, should this be the case, it's good to know you are in fact entitled to a suitable vehicle of a similar size and specification to your own at no cost, you may wish to contact an independent hire provider such as Compass Hire at this point, and should it be correct to do so given your circumstances a like for like vehicle will be provided via the credit hire route. We will look into the conditions of this in more detail shortly. 

 

Your damaged vehicle, did you know you have the right to appoint the repair centre you wish to repair your vehicle, you do not have to use the insurance companies select repair centre, this is something people are not always aware of, and if you have a new vehicle its always advised to appoint a manufacturer approved centre to ensure warranties on the vehicle are preserved and protect the vehicles future resale value. However is should also be said there are some great independent repair centres that offer excellent service levels and quality of work out there as well, so it is always worth doing your research and find a repair centre you feel happy with.

It is also worth remembering to inspect the repairs as best you can before signing any satisfaction of repair note. If you do not wish claim on your own policy you do not have to, if the accident was not you fault you can make the choice to claim via a company such as Compass Hire, you will receive a like for like vehicle and have the option to select the repair centre, or should you feel your vehicle is possibly a total loss (write off) and independent vehicle engineer will be appointed to inspect your vehicle and a full detailed report produced for your approval, the report will be detailing all accident related damage and an accurate vehicle valuation, the valuation takes into account many aspects of the vehicle, age, mileage and general condition, you will find you will receive the correct settlement payment this way rather than valuations from standard book prices some may use and the difference can be significant.

Should you have a third party or third party fire and theft insurance policy and the accident is not your fault, you will still be entitled to a replacement vehicle through a company like Compass Hire together with fully vehicle damage claims services, following the non fault accident, if you contact a company such as Compass hire, and again it should be said as long as your situation is suitable for the service (see below) a vehicle will be provided for the duration of the vehicle damage claim.

So whatever your insurance type, Full Comprehensive or Third Party, a Company like Compass Hire can provide full vehicle accident claim service or simply provide a like for like vehicle after the non fault car accident.

 

Can I use this service?

So what are the conditions if I chose to claim with an independent like Compass Hire, and is this suitable for you? The following questions will be asked, and should you answer no to them it could be an option you may like to consider..

Is your car in a functional and road worthy condition?

Was the accident not your fault?

Do you have the means to hire a vehicle or do you have access to others vehicles available and suitable for you daily requirements?

Have you been offered non fault car hire help by the third party insurance company already?

If the Answer is no then what to do next, firstly ensure the company you chose to deal with asks you these question first, they are more important than you may think, this is the case as they can prejudice the conditions of service and be a problem at a later stage. Ensure the vehicle provided to you is of good order and you are responsible as the owner whilst its in you possession, always check the hire vehicle over ensuring everything is in good order. Make sure you assist the company with any questions they may have for you and never delay the claim or repair process by ignoring requests for information. When provided correctly credit hire and non fault car hire companies like Compass Hire can ensure you receive the right replacement vehicle whilst your own is off the road, and speed up the process of repairs and write off recoveries by authority to repairs via credit repair (always check the repair rates some accident management companies have been know to pay excessive rates and then try to recover them as part of your claim)