Protect Your Vehicle Car Insurance

Insurance companies categorise cars in groups numbered one to 50, based on their risk factor. Usually, cars in group one are the cheapest to insure, and those in group 50 often end up being the most expensive.

The group a car falls into is determined by its value, performance, safety features, and an estimate of repair costs. When calculating your car insurance premium, your car’s insurance group, among other factors such as your postcode and driving experience, will be an element that affects your premium.

Compulsory excess is a set minimum amount that you must pay towards the cost of any claim you make. This amount is fixed by your insurer and is non-negotiable but different policies will have varying compulsory excess amounts. It’s important to consider your financial situation and your ability to pay the excess in the event of a claim when choosing your excess options. Our team are more than happy to help go through policies to find one that suits your budget and needs. 

For example, if your policy has a compulsory excess of £500 and you make a claim for £2,000, you would need to pay the first £500 towards the cost of the claim, and we would cover the remaining £1,500. 

Voluntary excess, on the other hand, is an additional amount that you can choose to add on top of the compulsory excess. This can help to lower the cost of your premium, as you agree to pay a higher amount towards any claim you make.  

For example, if your policy has a compulsory excess of £500 and you choose to add a voluntary excess of £250, you would need to pay the first £750 towards the cost of any claim, and we would cover the remaining amount. 

For more information on policy excesses, read our guide: Our Guide to Insurance Excesses.

You should report a car accident to your insurance company as soon as possible after it happens.

Ideally, you should notify your insurer within 24 hours to ensure that your claim is processed quickly and that any necessary repairs or medical treatment can be arranged.

Delays in reporting an accident may result in complications with your claim or even a denial of coverage, so it’s best to report it as soon as possible.

Find out more on the claims process by reading our guide: How To Make An Insurance Claim.

When applying for car insurance, you are required to declare any medical conditions that may affect your ability to drive safely.

These may include conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes, or heart conditions, as well as any conditions that affect your vision or hearing. You may also need to declare any recent surgeries or medical treatments that could impact your ability to drive.

It’s important to be honest and transparent about your medical history when applying for car insurance, as failing to disclose relevant medical conditions could result in your policy being invalidated.

Using a comparison site is straightforward. You’ll need to enter your personal details, car information, driving history, and the type of cover you want. The site will then show a range of quotes from different insurers, which you can compare based on price, coverage, and features. 

If you need any advice on your coverage, you can always give our friendly car insurance experts a call on 0800 107 0912.

A No Claims Discount is a reduction that you can earn on your insurance premium if you haven’t made any claims on your policy during a set period of time.

The discount increases each year that you don’t make a claim up to a maximum amount. This reward for safe and responsible driving can really help to lower the cost of your insurance over time, so it’s essential that you let us know about any history of No Claims Discounts when we’re calculating your estimated quotes.

Discover more about NCBs in our guide: How To Prove & Protect Your No Claims Bonus.

You can make a claim on your car insurance immediately after a car accident as long as you have reported it to your insurance company. However, the exact timeframe for making a claim may vary depending on the terms and conditions of your policy.

It’s always best to check your policy documents to confirm the exact timeframe for making a claim. If you need any help with making a claim after an accident, our dedicated claims team are always on hand to help 24/7, 365 days a year, via phone. To find the claims number corresponding to your insurance type, see our claims page.