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It’s important to be prepared in case of an incident on the road.

It’s important to be prepared in case of an incident on the road. So make sure you know what your insurance covers (and what it doesn’t), the essential steps to take after an incident – and how to make a claim.

Motor insurance claims explained

<ul>
	<li>Contact us directly, using either of the above methods. Or, if you&rsquo;d like to speak to someone, find the right number to call in our&nbsp;<a href="/help" 
 onClick="(function(e){
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 link_name: e.target.innerText,
 destination: e.target.href,
 section_name: e.target?.name || undefined,
 journey_type: 'brochureware', 
 application_name: 'brochureware',
 application_domain: 'https://www.hastingsdirect.com',
 page_path: window.location.pathname,
 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >Help Centre</a>.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Talk to us first. You might be contacted by another insurer or a claims management company about the incident. However, it&rsquo;s important that you speak to us before them. We&rsquo;ll guide you through the claims process and can provide you with a list of approved repairers.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Don&rsquo;t use a claims management company. Although claims management companies often appear at the top of results in search engines, and some can even use your insurer&rsquo;s name, they aren&rsquo;t your insurer. They&rsquo;re intermediaries who will try to get you to use their services to make your claim &ndash; and they might not act in your best interests. Please beware that using a claims management company could mean you have to pay serious costs.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

For more year-round driving tips, <a href="/car-insurance/guides" 
 onClick="(function(e){
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 window.dataLayer.push({
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 journey_type: 'brochureware', 
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 application_domain: 'https://www.hastingsdirect.com',
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 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >click here</a>.

<ul>
	<li>Maintain a safe distance: Keep a larger gap between vehicles in poor weather conditions.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Prepare an essentials kit: Carry a driving kit with basics like a phone charger, blanket, torch, and first aid supplies.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Check your vehicle: Regularly inspect your tyres, tread depth, and fluid levels (e.g., water and antifreeze).&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Log in to our <a href="/app" 
 onClick="(function(e){
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 window.dataLayer.push({
 event: 'click',
 event_type: 'link_click',
 link_name: e.target.innerText,
 destination: e.target.href,
 section_name: e.target?.name || undefined,
 journey_type: 'brochureware', 
 application_name: 'brochureware',
 application_domain: 'https://www.hastingsdirect.com',
 page_path: window.location.pathname,
 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >app</a> or <a href="https://www.hastingsdirect.com/myaccount/login/?action=login#signin" 
 onClick="(function(e){
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 window.dataLayer.push({
 event: 'click',
 event_type: 'link_click',
 link_name: e.target.innerText,
 destination: e.target.href,
 section_name: e.target?.name || undefined,
 journey_type: 'brochureware', 
 application_name: 'brochureware',
 application_domain: 'https://www.hastingsdirect.com',
 page_path: window.location.pathname,
 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >MyAccount</a> to check or change your details.</li>
</ul>

Bike and van customers:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Log in to our <a href="/app" 
 onClick="(function(e){
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 window.dataLayer.push({
 event: 'click',
 event_type: 'link_click',
 link_name: e.target.innerText,
 destination: e.target.href,
 section_name: e.target?.name || undefined,
 journey_type: 'brochureware', 
 application_name: 'brochureware',
 application_domain: 'https://www.hastingsdirect.com',
 page_path: window.location.pathname,
 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >app</a> or <a href="https://www.hastingsdirect.com/myaccount/login/?action=login#signin" 
 onClick="(function(e){
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 window.dataLayer.push({
 event: 'click',
 event_type: 'link_click',
 link_name: e.target.innerText,
 destination: e.target.href,
 section_name: e.target?.name || undefined,
 journey_type: 'brochureware', 
 application_name: 'brochureware',
 application_domain: 'https://www.hastingsdirect.com',
 page_path: window.location.pathname,
 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >MyAccount</a> to check or change your details.</li>
	<li>If you need to change anything, just <a href="/contact-us" 
 onClick="(function(e){
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 window.dataLayer.push({
 event: 'click',
 event_type: 'link_click',
 link_name: e.target.innerText,
 destination: e.target.href,
 section_name: e.target?.name || undefined,
 journey_type: 'brochureware', 
 application_name: 'brochureware',
 application_domain: 'https://www.hastingsdirect.com',
 page_path: window.location.pathname,
 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >contact&nbsp;us</a> and we&rsquo;ll update your policy.</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

Driving tips to help you stay safe and avoid having to make a claim&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Driving conditions can become more challenging depending on the weather and season. Here are a few tips to help keep you safe:&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Report a new claim or incident.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Check the status of your repair or write-off.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Upload documents or photos to support your claim.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Make other types of claims (e.g. windscreen damage, key cover or hire car).&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

For more information on what happens after you&rsquo;ve submitted your claim, check out our FAQs below.&nbsp;

1. Stop: If you&rsquo;re on a busy road, pull over as quickly as you can, as soon as it&rsquo;s safe to do so. Then turn off your engine, put your hazard lights on to warn other drivers and get yourself (and any passengers) to a safe place.

 
2. Contact the emergency services: If anyone&rsquo;s injured, call an ambulance immediately on 999 or 112. You should also call the police if the road is blocked or damaged.

&nbsp;

3. Exchange details: Exchange details with any other people involved, including their registration number and contact details.

 
4. Collect evidence: Note down as much information as you can about the accident straight away. The location, time, weather conditions, what happened etc. If there are witnesses, get their contact details. If the other driver has left the scene, write down anything you can about their vehicle. To help back up your case, try to take photos and videos of the scene, the vehicles and any damage. 

&nbsp;

5. Report the incident to the police: You should inform the police within 24 hours if anyone is injured or if you&rsquo;ve been unable to exchange contact details. If someone&rsquo;s hurt, you must provide your insurance certificate &ndash; either at the scene or in person at a local police station. 

&nbsp;

6. Tell us what happened: Even if you think you don&rsquo;t want to make a claim, you need to tell us about any incidents. We&rsquo;ll be able to give you appropriate advice, instructions to make a car claim and other help. You can log in to our <a href="/app" 
 onClick="(function(e){
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 window.dataLayer.push({
 event: 'click',
 event_type: 'link_click',
 link_name: e.target.innerText,
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 section_name: e.target?.name || undefined,
 journey_type: 'brochureware', 
 application_name: 'brochureware',
 application_domain: 'https://www.hastingsdirect.com',
 page_path: window.location.pathname,
 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >app</a> or <a href="https://www.hastingsdirect.com/myaccount/login/?action=login#signin" 
 onClick="(function(e){
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
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 page_path: window.location.pathname,
 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >MyAccount</a> to start your claim or let us know what&rsquo;s happened.

If you&rsquo;ve been in an incident or your vehicle has been damaged, follow these steps to stay safe and help make sure any insurance claims go smoothly:&nbsp;

What happens after you make a claim

&nbsp;

After you&rsquo;ve made a claim, here&rsquo;s what happens next:&nbsp; 
 
1. Claim assessment: Once your claim has been made, we&rsquo;ll review the details and verify what&rsquo;s covered by your policy.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

2. Repair and recovery: If your claim is approved, we&rsquo;ll work with our network of approved repairers to repair your vehicle, or guide you through the next steps if your vehicle is written off.&nbsp;

3. Track your claim: You can follow the status of your claim and any repairs through our&nbsp;app&nbsp;or&nbsp;MyAccount, keeping you up to date every step of the way.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Claim FAQs

&nbsp;

How long will my claim take?&nbsp; 
 
The time taken depends on the complexity of your case, but we aim to resolve most claims within a few weeks.&nbsp; 
 
What if my vehicle is written off?&nbsp; 
 
If your car is beyond repair, we&rsquo;ll guide you through the write-off process and discuss settlement options based on your policy.&nbsp; 
 
Can I choose my own repairer?&nbsp; 
 
We recommend using one of our approved repairers. However, if you prefer using your own, you must get our approval first, as this may affect your policy or payout.&nbsp; 
 
For further details, explore our full list of&nbsp;<a href="/help" 
 onClick="(function(e){
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 window.dataLayer.push({
 event: 'click',
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 journey_type: 'brochureware', 
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 application_domain: 'https://www.hastingsdirect.com',
 page_path: window.location.pathname,
 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >FAQs.</a>&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Double check your policy&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Now&rsquo;s the perfect time to check your policy details to make sure everything&rsquo;s up to date. Incorrect or outdated information could have an impact if you need to make a claim.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Car customers:&nbsp;

<ul>
</ul>

When you make a claim or report an incident, make sure you:&nbsp;

How to make a claim

&nbsp;

If you have a car policy, you can make a claim quickly and easily without making a call. Just use our <a href="/app" 
 onClick="(function(e){
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 window.dataLayer.push({
 event: 'click',
 event_type: 'link_click',
 link_name: e.target.innerText,
 destination: e.target.href,
 section_name: e.target?.name || undefined,
 journey_type: 'brochureware', 
 application_name: 'brochureware',
 application_domain: 'https://www.hastingsdirect.com',
 page_path: window.location.pathname,
 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >app</a> or <a href="https://www.hastingsdirect.com/myaccount/login/?action=login#signin" 
 onClick="(function(e){
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 window.dataLayer.push({
 event: 'click',
 event_type: 'link_click',
 link_name: e.target.innerText,
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 journey_type: 'brochureware', 
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 page_path: window.location.pathname,
 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >MyAccount</a>. Here&rsquo;s how it works:

<ul>
	<li>Only car customers can use our&nbsp;<a href="/app" 
 onClick="(function(e){
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 window.dataLayer.push({
 event: 'click',
 event_type: 'link_click',
 link_name: e.target.innerText,
 destination: e.target.href,
 section_name: e.target?.name || undefined,
 journey_type: 'brochureware', 
 application_name: 'brochureware',
 application_domain: 'https://www.hastingsdirect.com',
 page_path: window.location.pathname,
 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >app</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hastingsdirect.com/myaccount/login/?action=login#signin" 
 onClick="(function(e){
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 window.dataLayer.push({
 event: 'click',
 event_type: 'link_click',
 link_name: e.target.innerText,
 destination: e.target.href,
 section_name: e.target?.name || undefined,
 journey_type: 'brochureware', 
 application_name: 'brochureware',
 application_domain: 'https://www.hastingsdirect.com',
 page_path: window.location.pathname,
 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >MyAccount</a>&nbsp;to make a claim at the moment. If you are a car customer but would&nbsp;like to talk to us still, you&rsquo;ll find the right number to call in our&nbsp;<a href="/help" 
 onClick="(function(e){
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 window.dataLayer.push({
 event: 'click',
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 link_name: e.target.innerText,
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 application_domain: 'https://www.hastingsdirect.com',
 page_path: window.location.pathname,
 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >Help Centre</a>.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>If you&rsquo;re a van or bike customer, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="/help" 
 onClick="(function(e){
 window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
 window.dataLayer.push({
 event: 'click',
 event_type: 'link_click',
 link_name: e.target.innerText,
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 section_name: e.target?.name || undefined,
 journey_type: 'brochureware', 
 application_name: 'brochureware',
 application_domain: 'https://www.hastingsdirect.com',
 page_path: window.location.pathname,
 page_name: 'Motor Insurance Claims Explained'
 });
 })(event)"
 >Help Centre</a>.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

Motor insurance claims explained

What to do after an incident

Important