How to make a bike insurance claim

Bike insurance is required by law in the UK and, depending on the level of cover you take out, it should be there to pick up the pieces after an accident and help you cover the cost of a riding related damages or injuries.

After the stress of being involved in an accident, the last thing you need is for something to go wrong when it comes to making a claim. So here we look at the claims process to ensure you’re well prepared, just in case.

What to do if an accident occurs

Before you even contact your insurer, you must act appropriately at the scene of an accident – doing so will help a claim run smoothly. Here is a quick guide to what you should do:

1. Stop at the scene: If there are any injuries call the police and an ambulance immediately and contact the police if the accident is blocking the road.
2. Give and take details: Note down as much information as possible about anyone else involved in the accident including names, addresses, telephone numbers and car or bike insurance details. Find out who the registered keeper of the vehicle is and take their information too – including the information of a company if you are in an accident with a commercial vehicle.
3. Gather information: Take as much information as possible at the accident scene. This could include taking photographs; sketching the positions of the vehicles involved; noting the model, make, colour and registration of any other vehicles; looking for anything unusual such as whether or not other drivers/riders have been drinking, whether there are problems with the road conditions, etc; and look for witnesses and exchange details with them.
4. Inform the police: Report an accident to the police within 24hrs. They should provide an incident number which you can pass on to your insurer.

What to do when contacting your insurer

Remember that all accidents, thefts, attempted theft and malicious damage incidents should be reported to your bike insurance company regardless of whether or not you plan to make a claim.

So contact your insurer as soon as possible – most insurers will insist that they are contacted within a certain timeframe or a potential claim may be thrown out. Pass on as much detail as possible to the insurer over the phone – it makes sense to have the following information ready before you call:

1. Your registration number
2. Your policy number
3. The rider’s details and licence number
4. An incident number from the police
5. Any other party’s details including those of witnesses

Your insurer will normally take down the bulk of the information over the phone and then begin to handle the claim. However, you may also be asked to fill out a claims form so make sure you hang on to all relevant details and notes until the claims process is officially resolved.

What happens next?

The claims process varies from insurer to insurer but typically the following procedure will occur:

1. A claims consultant will contact you once you have lodged your claim to resolve any issues.
2. You may be asked to get a quote from a repairer of your choice (some insurers may arrange repairs for you). If you can’t find a suitable repairer, the insurer may have an assessor contact you to offer assistance.
3. Typically you will then be asked to forward details of the quote along with any relevant information – such as photographs from the scene – to the insurer’s claims department.
4. A claims assessor will then determine whether or not the claim can be settled via a digital assessment or whether a specialised assessor should carry out an inspection.

Crucially, you should not carry out any repairs without consulting your insurer first.

Will you receive a payout?

If the accident wasn’t your fault and you have legal expenses cover a solicitor will normally claim compensation from the third party for any injuries sustained or other uninsured losses in a disputed claim.

The payout you receive will depend on the level of cover you have in place – losses could include repairs to the vehicle, personal injury damages, damage to personal belongings, vehicle hire charges, out of pocket expenses and medical fees.

If the insurer is able to recover the cost from the third party then your no-claims discount will not be affected. However, if the provider cannot recover the cost of the claim then your no-claims bonus will be affected unless you have no-claims discount protection.

Remember that, even with a no-claims discount, premiums could still increase after you have been involved in an accident, so it makes sense to compare quotes online annually to see if you can find another policy that offers more value for money.

By Paul Lucas