Can I Get Car Insurance if I’ve Made Multiple Claims?
Caeva O'Callaghan | March 7th, 2023
Every claim is unique – but if you’ve made more than one, your Car Insurance premiums may skyrocket. Will car insurers still cover you if you have a long claims history?
Yes – but you may find it tricky to obtain a competitive car insurance quote. Insurance companies will view your risk profile as higher than others, and so may be less willing to take you on.
Always be upfront and honest with your insurer about your claims history. Not doing so will only lead to trouble down the road if you need to make yet another claim.
Read on to find answers to the following questions:
- How do claims affect my car insurance premiums?
- What are fault vs no fault claims?
- How can I save money on my car insurance if I have previous claims?
Different claims with different circumstances will involve different costs. The costs involved in your previous claims will affect the price of your future car insurance premiums.
How do claims affect my car insurance premiums?
One of the biggest impacts making a claim can have on your car insurance is the loss of your no claims bonus. You may lose some or all of the bonus you’ve built up, as many insurers will reduce your no claims by two years for each incident.
Even worse, if the claim was not your fault but your insurer was unable to recover the costs from the guilty party, you may still lose your no claims bonus if you were hit by an uninsured driver or your car was vandalised.
If you still have claims that are open – which means not yet settled or paid – it can be even more tricky to obtain a quote. This is because insurers need to be sure of the outcome of each claim before they can accurately calculate your risk.
Remember: it’s called a no claims discount, not a no blame discount. Your bonus goes down whenever you make a claim, regardless of whose fault the accident was.
What are fault vs no fault claims?
You will lose your no claims bonus whenever you make a claim – that much is clear. But how much a claim affects your premium will depend on whose fault it was.
In most cases, your insurer will thoroughly investigate your claim to find out whether you were to blame for the incident. This is not always as clear cut as it should be, for example if your car was broken into or vandalised: was it purely an opportunistic criminal’s fault, or were you negligent by leaving valuables on your front seat when you parked your car in a dangerous neighbourhood?
It’s worth asking your insurer about uninsured driver clauses. Having this section on your policy means your no claims bonus is protected in the event you are hit by a driver without insurance.
Many insurance providers also now offer no claims bonus protection, which means your bonus will remain intact even if you make an at fault claim. But even if you have this protection in place, your premiums may increase if you make a claim.
Insurers will calculate your premium based on your risk profile, and any no claims discount will be applied to that amount. When your risk profile goes up, so do your premiums.
How can I save money on my car insurance if I have previous claims?
First of all, it’s probably best for you to ring us to get a quote rather than searching online. Our experts have years of experience dealing with getting drivers with multiple claims the best insurance quotes on the market, and as circumstances vary so widely it’s best to call us in person.
We will need to know the dates of all of your claims over the past 5 years, the circumstances of the claims and how much was paid or is outstanding. The more information you can give us the better – and don’t withhold any information from us!
If you’ve previously made a claim, there are a few tips you can use to lower your car insurance. Try raising your excess (but make sure you can afford the payment if you need to make another claim). Consider a cheaper or newer car, which will be more affordable to insure, and keep it in a more secure place, such as a driveway or garage.
You can also consider a telematics box – also known as a black box – which will adjust your insurance premium based on how carefully you drive.
Give us a call if you have had multiple claims
The best option to finding a competitive car insurance quote if you have had multiple claims, is to pick up the phone and talk to our car insurance experts as we can search the market to find the best insurance quote for you.
We are available anytime Mon-Fri between 8.30am and 5.30pm on 0818 224433 or 042 9359051.