Can I Get Young Drivers’ Car Insurance If I Have Had An Accident?

Caeva O'Callaghan | November 28th, 2022

Getting into an accident is every learner driver’s worst nightmare. But can you get insurance once the dust has settled?

As long as any claims against you have been settled, yes you can get young driver’s insurance.

The process involved is more costly and difficult than if you had a clean insurance record, but it is possible. At QuoteMe.ie we have advisors with specialist experience in this area who can help.

In this article, we’ll cover the following questions:

• What should I do if I crash my car?
• What happens when a learner driver has an accident?
• If I crash, will I lose my no claims bonus?

In short, you will be able to get insurance, but we will need to contact the insurance companies for a quotation – it will not be a system driven quote, as it’s a special case.

What should I do if I crash my car?

The first thing you should do is not worry about insurance! Before anything else, make sure you and the people around you are safe.

Once you are sure everybody involved is okay, you should contact the gardai if necessary. Then, you need to obtain key information from the other party involved such as contact details, car registrations and accident details.

After that, phone your insurance company as soon as possible. Always tell your young drivers care insurer about an accident straight away, even if you don’t want to make a claim. The other driver could make a claim against you so it’s best to let your insurer know your side of the story first.

Always make sure you know who your insurance company is. If you’re a named driver on someone else’s policy, get the information from them because you’ll need to know who to call to make a claim. The difficulty of making the claim and the eventual cost will be determined by the severity of the accident and how much you need to claim for.

What happens when a learner driver has an accident?

Despite a professional driving instructor present in the vehicle, accidents can always happen when you least expect it.

If you have an accident while you’re in a driving lesson, don’t panic. Firstly, make sure you and your instructor are okay. Your instructor will know what to do next.

The law clearly outlines the set of rules and responsibilities both a learner driver and an instructor must abide by. It is crucial that when you’re learning to drive, you do so always accompanied by a fully licensed driver – preferably a qualified driving instructor. Without the presence of a fully licensed driver, you won’t be covered by insurance in the event of an accident.

Your driving instructor has a duty of care to ensure that you are learning to drive safely, giving clear direction and staying observant for any signs of danger. If you feel unsafe with your instructor, or if they have neglected to teach you to drive properly or gave you unsafe advice, they might be held liable for the collision. If the accident was your driving instructor’s fault, don’t feel bad – always tell the truth to the gardai and insurance companies, as doing so will help your claim go more smoothly.

Driving schools can sometimes be held accountable for driving lesson accidents if they supplied a vehicle that was faulty, or considered non-road worthy. If the car broke or malfunctioned during your lesson, it’s not your fault.

If I crash, will I lose my no claims bonus?

Potentially, yes. If you have been learning to drive more than one year, you’ll have started to build up a no claims bonus. You can earn a no claims bonus in your own name or as a named driver on somebody else’s policy.

You may lose your no claims bonus when you make a claim on your insurance, or have it “stepped back”. This is when insurers “step back” your no claims bonus by a year or more, instead of removing it completely, in the event of a claim.

If you want to know what kind of no claims bonus you have, phone your insurance provider or check your policy booklet.

If you’re a young driver who has been in a traffic collision, we can help you get insured again. Give us a call today on on 0818 224433 or 042 9359051 and we’ll help sort everything out.