Damage to the car, how does it affect car insurance?

If you own a car, you naturally take care of it. But sometimes an accident or collision is in a small corner. If you cause damage and claim it from the insurance company, in most cases this will affect the amount of your premium. If you build up claim-free years, you will receive a discount on your premium. This discount can be substantial. Sometimes you can also insure yourself for a reduction in your no-claim discount. Then the consequences will be less if you do have to make a claim with your insurer.

Own fault or not?

When claiming damages, it matters a lot who is at fault for the collision. If you have all-risk insurance and someone else hits you, the situation is obviously different from if you are the guilty party in a collision. In the latter case, the insurance will only pay out the damage to the other party if you are only third-party insured. With all-risk insurance, damage to your own car is also paid for. However, there is often an excess of sometimes several hundred euros. In all cases, you have to pay this amount yourself.

Changing insurance

If you have claimed damages from Alpina or another car insurance policy then this is registered in the CIS, the Central Information System. This system can be consulted by all insurance companies. If you want to switch insurers, the CIS will be consulted. If this shows that you have claimed damage more often than average, you may be refused or a higher premium may be charged. You are also at risk of refusal if you have ever committed fraud or are known to be a defaulter of insurance premiums. You should also be aware that you cannot always take your accrued no-claims discount with you when you switch.

Assessment by an insurance expert

If you have damage to your car and want to claim it from the insurance company, you may have an expert come by. This is a representative of the insurance company. He will take the damage and assess the cost estimate of the garage that will repair the damage. It will also assess the claim form filled in by both parties or a report from the police. Only after the insurance company agrees can the car be repaired. Even in the case of a total loss, the insurer may send an expert to assess whether this conclusion is justified or not.

Damage to a leased car

If you have a leased car, you pay a fixed amount per month for this. This amount includes all-risk insurance. If you have damage, you can therefore often have the car repaired free of charge. It does not matter whether the collision was your fault or not. But again, of course, you are not supposed to report to the garage several times with self-inflicted damage. It is then likely that costs will be charged to you as a user. This is usually stipulated in the lease contract.

Which insurance is right for me?

If you are going to insure your car you will naturally look for a cheap car insurance. Nobody pays a high premium for fun. Always read the insurance conditions carefully, though. Sometimes a slightly more expensive insurance can be a better choice because it provides better cover, for instance. As a young person and as a novice driver, you always pay a higher premium. This is logical because the risk of damage is higher. Studies have shown this. The insurance company always estimates the risk of a claim and bases the amount of the premium on that.