Why does my insurance go up following a non-fault accident?

[ScoobyDooLondon]

My parked vehicle was hit and my insurance company successfully reclaimed the full amount from the third party insurer.

Insurance renewal quote from current insurer was double last years! I kid you not, was paying £645 last year and now its £1276!

However, if I shop online I can get it down to £762 if I don't mention the accident. As soon as I do, its increases to £883 (policy was protected and I have 15 years no-claims)

Why the increase if:

1) its not my fault
2) and all costs were fully recovered from third-party

Also, if my insurance cost goes up, shouldn't I be allowed to recover these from the third-party?

 

[Deleted member 6183]

As I understand it the insurance firms have data that shows that those involved in a non fault accident are more likely to have another or an at fault one.

 

[bob6600]

Their excuse is that because you were involved, even if you were not at fault or even if it was a parked car, it goes down as an accident against your postcode and on your record, making you more likely to have an accident in their eyes.

Absolute tosh.

It's just an excuse to put their premiums up

 

[C240Sport97]

seems completely unfair

 

[whitenemesis]

The policy wasn't protected, just the percentage no claims bonus.

 

[KillerHERTZ]

Im in the final year after 4 years since my car was hit by a Woman while I wasnt in the car. it went up about 20%, total bo-locks.

 

[High-Lo]

In September/October last year, my car was hit on two occasions (I was stationary for the first one and not in the vehicle (as it was parked) for the second). Both confirmed as non-fault. My renewal for both of my cars is due early next year. Think I'm in for a shock..!

 

[Doodle]

I wonder if being a parked vehicle has anything to do with it?

I've had 2 non faults in 2 years (both times stationary at a road junction when I got collected by another driver doing something dumb), but my insurance is still down.

First accident was zero value (try damaging an old Volvo that's already seen plenty of action), and the 2nd just needed a new bumper skin.

Any correlation in the sudden spike of accidents (clean for nearly a decade up to this point) is more related to having to drive through Reading every day, and the substandard level of driving prowess exhibited by its inhabitants. I'm surprised it's taken this long.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

In September/October last year, my car was hit on two occasions (I was stationary for the first one and not in the vehicle (as it was parked) for the second). Both confirmed as non-fault. My renewal for both of my cars is due early next year. Think I'm in for a shock..!

Proof of the increased risk?

 

[BTB 500]

Presumably there's a risk that you'll be hit by an uninsured driver next time? Or by someone who drives off, leaving your insurer to foot the bill?

 

[ph47mf]

it's all about stats, in their eyes, you've been involved in an accident, they can't trust you anymore.

 

[tec]

My parked vehicle was hit..........

1) its not my fault

Not everyone's car got hit, just yours, so therefore you are deemed as being a higher risk.

If you had parked somewhere else then the accident might not have happened.

 

[hotrodder]

Not defending insurers but think about it logically and it's not hard to see how being involved in a non fault accident can statistically increase the odds of being involved another claim. For example the last of the late breakers is more likely to have someone plow into the back of them than someone who drives more smoothly and pays attention to what's going on behind them. Or the idiot that lives a few doors away from me who is waaaaaaay more likely to have his car hit while it's parked because the mouth breather insists on parking on a blind bend near to a junction instead of using their driveway*

Obviously neither of those examples are much comfort to people that were sitting patiently at a set of lights when hit or were parked sensibly but insurance, like life, isn't fair. Insurance is about spreading risks. Everyone is free(?) to deposit the £500k (or whatever it is today) bond to 'self insure' against 3rd parties. Me, i've had a licence just over 24 years and for probably at least 10 of those had at least two cars insured at a time. When i first got a licence insurance was ~ £1k, that quickly fell a lot and these days it's closer to £300. 2nd car has always been a classic/rod and a couple of hundred tops on a specialist policy. Averaged out i doubt i've spent more than £600/year but lets call it a grand to make the maths easy... £24k "wasted" on insurance so far BUT if i run over a kid and cripple them for life tomorrow i won't be any worse off financially while the evil money grabbing insurance underwriters will have to pay out possibly millions. Sounds like a bargin to me

* maybe his premium would go up if he parked on the drive 'cause any thieves would know which house to break into for the keys but that's no excuse for not parking a few metres further along the road away from blind bends and junctions

 

[bolide]

Is it because insurance companies are robbing ba$tards?

Nick Froome

 

[mat8n]

I crashed my car, wrote it off, all my fault.
Protected no claims.

My insurance (on the sl) went from £250 to £350 the following year.... It went back down to £250 the second year.
a payout of about £11k and I ended up with a better car for £100!

I stayed with my insurer throughout, and spoke to them before the first renewal, and got what thought was a good price, they know my history and look after me(Ifeel).

My 21 year old son has just gone in the back of someone this year and he's done well out of it too!

Both these incidents were a lot of stress and took a lot of calls to sort, but it can be done.
Some people do win with insurance

 

[markjay]

Mrs MJ had one at-fault and one no-fault accident in the past 5 years.

She has fully protected NCD.

The at-fault accident caused a £30 increase the following year, which went back down since.

The no-fault accident did not cause any premium increase.

Her NCD is still intact.

We are both with Aviva on a multi-car policy.

So not a bad result overall.

 

[markjay]

Also... it's not about what's 'fair'. Insurers are financial organisations.

The claim might not be your fault... but it's not their fault either.

Sounds harsh, but an insurance policy is not a court of justice, it's a commercial transaction with T&C the protect the insurer's business.

 

[mrmonkeyboy]

You could always write to the insurer for an explanation.

I did that a few years ago when I opened a non-fault claim with Admiral after my BMW was vandalised in a car park. I cancelled the claim before it got too far through the process but the following years renewal spiked.

I wrote to them asking why, they referenced the claim, I complained and threatened to take the complaint to the Ombudsman as this wasn't 'treating customers fairly' (3 very key words when complaining) and they apologised, blamed an error somewhere and gave me a much more competitive quote.

I then took that quote and went elsewhere for an even better deal

 

[KennyN]

It seems that all the insurance prices have shot up this year , daughters insurance jumped 20% this year even with another year of NCB.

No matter what we have tried it seems that £600 is what you have to pay for a 21 year old to drive a group 1 insurance vehicle for less than 6k miles a year.

Kenny

 

[uumode]

It seems that all the insurance prices have shot up this year , daughters insurance jumped 20% this year even with another year of NCB.

No matter what we have tried it seems that £600 is what you have to pay for a 21 year old to drive a group 1 insurance vehicle for less than 6k miles a year.

Kenny

Did you try putting your daughter as the main driver, and add you, partner, or both as occasional named drivers?

I found the insurance on my car is cheaper if I am main driver when I add my wife on, rather than myself alone. Both full NCB, no claims in 25 years or convictions. Could be me