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You should notify us whenever you are involved in an accident, whether you intend to claim under your policy or not. This is because it is a condition of your insurance that all accidents are reported to us as soon as possible and that you answer all questions in full and accurately. Failure to do so may unnecessarily delay the processing of any claim you make.

When you call our claims team you will be asked to give details of the incident relating to your claim. The handler you speak to will be responsible for managing your claim from start to finish. Our Talking Claims Service means the details of your claim are entered on to our system and the claims form is pre-printed with your details. It’s then immediately posted to you so you can confirm the details are correct, sign it and return the form to us. Details of your claim are also immediately sent to your insurer so that it can be actioned and, if necessary, arrangements made to inspect your vehicle, significantly speeding up the process.

If you were not to blame for an accident it may be possible to secure a hire vehicle at no cost to you. Your claims handler will advise you on this and if appropriate, instruct a solicitor on your behalf to secure hire charges and any other uninsured losses you may have suffered.

As every claim is unique, the time taken to settle varies depending on the circumstances and complexity of the case. Our award-winning claims team has introduced initiatives to ensure every claim is handled as swiftly, efficiently and sympathetically as possible. Among those initiatives has been the introduction of our ‘Talking Claims’ service which allows you to give details of your claim over the phone, rather than wait for a claim form to be posted to you for you to complete and return to us before your claim can be actioned.

When you took out your insurance you agreed to pay an excess, a contribution towards the cost of any claim you make. The amount of your excess is detailed in your Policy Schedule. On completion of repairs you must pay this amount directly to the repairer. In the event of your vehicle being written off as a total loss, that amount will be deducted from your final settlement. The excess is also deducted if your vehicle is a total loss following a theft.

You must pay the excess even if you were not to blame for an accident. However, in these circumstances, you can reclaim the excess from the third party or their insurers. Your handler will discuss the option of appointing one of our approved solicitors to recover this cost. If there is no damage to your vehicle then you do not need to pay the excess.

The excess must always be paid whenever you make a claim against a household or travel insurance policy.

Unless you opted to protect your no claims discount (NCD) when you took out your policy and haven’t made another claim under that policy in the same renewal year, your NCD will be affected when you make a claim. If the incident for which you are claiming is not your fault and if your insurer makes a full recovery of costs, your NCD will be reinstated. If your insurer cannot make a full recovery of costs, even if you are not to blame for an incident, then your NCD will be affected.

For example, if your car is parked and hit by an unknown driver, this is not your fault but as the identity of the third party cannot be determined, your insurer cannot recover costs and your NCD is therefore affected. Similary, if you make a claim for theft your NCD will be affected. This is because it unlikely that costs can be recovered from those responsible for the theft. However, your NCD will not be affected if your vehicle and/or goods are subsequently recovered undamaged.

We strongly recommend that UK bikers take advantage of the Carole Nash Approved Repairer Network. This consists of garages and bodyshops across England, Scotland and Wales who have been inspected and approved by Carole Nash and are contractually obliged to meet stringent quality standards workmanship and customer care which we have set. These include a three year workmanship warranty covering paint, composite and mechanical repairs, subject to normal road usage.

By using an Approved Repairer you will not need to source two independent repair quotes for your insurer.

Instead the Approved Repairer will arrange to collect your bike and, if it is repairable, carry out repairs and return it to you, having given it a valet. Once your bike has been collected it is likely that your insurer will appoint an engineer to examine your bike. Our claims staff liaise with your insurer to ensure that this assessment is carried out quickly and any subsequent repairs completed as soon as possible.

Car insurers operate similar Approved Repairer Networks, as these enable claims to be settled as promptly and professionally as possible. Whilst we would recommend that you make use of these networks, you are free to secure repair quotes from outside repairer networks and submit these to your insurer for consideration. Should you do so the same procedures will be followed as with an Approved Repairer, although it may take longer for your repair to be authorised and you may not be eligible for a courtesy vehicle.

If the cost of repair to your vehicle exceeds its market value then it is likely your insurer will decide it is beyond economical repair. This is known as a total loss. When this happens your insurer will appoint an engineer to inspect your vehicle and place a value upon it. The valuation will take into account a variety of factors, including the condition of your vehicle prior to the incident for which you are claiming, its mileage and current re-sale market trends for that kind of vehicle. Once your vehicle is identified as a total loss we will ask you to send us the vehicle’s V5 (log book), most recent MOT certificate (if applicable) and copies of any other documents, such as service records, which may assist in its valuation.

If you have modified your vehicle this will also be taken into account providing it is stipulated in your policy and you can provide documentary evidence (such as receipts and photographs) of those modifications. It is essential at this stage that you remove any personal belongings from your vehicle. If your vehicle has been removed to a secure site, our claims staff will be able to assist you in making arrangements to collect your belongings. When the valuation has been completed you will then receive a settlement offer from your insurer.

If you are interested in retaining the salvage of your vehicle our claim handlers will be able to discuss this with you. However, the purchase of total loss vehicles is governed by the Association of British Insurers’ Code of Practice, to which Carole Nash and your insurer subscribe. The code gives direction to insurers on the steps to be taken in their treatment of vehicle, salvage and recovered stolen vehicles. The most important factor is the level of damage to the vehicle, and part of the code’s success has been to prevent badly damaged or poorly repaired vehicles from returning to the road.

The amount you paid for your policy (your premium) covers you in the event of you making a claim. If a claim is made on your policy the full premium for the whole term of your insurance is due, therefore it cannot be refunded. However, some policies do allow for a change of vehicle in the event of the originally insured vehicle becoming a total loss. You can clarify this by calling our claims team on 0800 804 7964.

You must report any theft to your nearest Police station as soon as possible. If you do not report a theft to the Police we will not be able to process your claim.

If your vehicle is not subsequently recovered your insurer will make you a settlement offer based on a variety of factors, including its make, model, year of manufacture, mileage and current re-sale market trends for that type of vehicle. If you have any photographs of your vehicle you should submit these to us as they will help the engineer appointed by your insurers to make a fair valuation in the absence of a vehicle which can be inspected. If you have modified your vehicle this will also be taken into account providing you can provide documentary evidence (such as receipts and photographs) of those modifications.

Before making a settlement offer your insurer will normally allow around three to four weeks for the authorities to try and recover your vehicle. After this time we will ask you, if you have not already done so, to send us the vehicle’s V5 (log book), most recent MOT certificate (if applicate) and copies of any other documents, such as service records, which may assist in its valuation.

If an accident is not your fault we may be able to arrange for you to receive a hire vehicle. This is dependent on the circumstances of the accident. Your claims handler will be able to advise you of the situation when you call to register your claim.

Our claims team and your insurer will use the evidence you have gathered and provided to us to make the best possible case to demonstrate that an accident was not your fault. As your representative we will always promote your case, however, sometimes the evidence may not support either drivers’ version of events. In such cases all parties involved may need to take some responsibility and this would mean your insurer cannot recover all of its costs and consequently your No Claims Discount will be affected.

If an accident is not your fault and you are unfortunate enough to have suffered an injury then the Legal Expenses cover which is provided as standard with all Carole Nash car and motorcycle policies is activated. This provides you with a guaranteed “no win, no fee” agreement and details of your case will be passed to our panel of specialist solicitors who will quickly contact you to discuss and assess the extent of your claim. The solicitor appointed on your behalf will have been chosen specifically because of their expertise in the field to which your claim is subject. Usually, solicitors from our panel will offer home visits or out of hours appointments arranged at your convenience, should this be necessary.

All the members of our solicitor’ panel are members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and in addition are subject to regular reviews by Carole Nash to confirm they are providing a prompt, high quality service.

Should you choose to use a firm of solicitors that is not on our panel, those solicitors may not be able to take on your case on a “no win no fee” basis. This is because they may not be able to recover all your costs, as the courts may take into account the fact that you had a Legal Expenses policy which you have not used to assist in the settlement of your claim. In addition, solicitors appointed by you outside of our panel may make a charge for recovery of uninsured losses incurred by any pillion or passenger involved in your case, whilst this service is provided FREE of charge by our panel of solicitors.

These are losses you have incurred as a result of an accident which was not your fault and which are not covered by your insurance policy. They may include personal injury, your policy excess or, if you have third party, fire and theft cover, the full cost of repairs. It may also include the hire of an alternative vehicle, although this will be subject to your case meeting various criteria, which your claims handler will be happy to discuss with you. You are expected at all times to ensure your losses are kept to a minimum.

Our first priority with every motorcycle or car insurance claim is to get your vehicle repaired or, if it is a total loss, a settlement agreed with you as soon as possible. But If an accident is not your fault you will be advised by your claims handler that your Legal Expenses cover (included as standard in all Carole Nash car and motorcycle policies) has been activated.

Your case will then be passed on to a specialist solicitor from our panel who will contact you to determine the extent of your uninsured loss claim. Once they have obtained these details they will then pursue the other party or their insurers to establish if liability for the accident is being disputed. If there is no dispute they will ensure full recovery of all your uninsured losses is achieved as quickly as possible. If the circumstances of the incident are straightforward and liability is not contested, this is usually a short process and full loss recovery is made.