You need your insurer or broker’s details so you can call them to make a claim. Most need you to get in touch within 24 hours of the incident. If you’re making a claim, you need:

• The registration details of both vehicles
• The name and address of the registered owner of the car (if they aren’t driving it)
• The date and time of the incident
• Crime reference numbers if the police have been involved
• Your policy number
• The name/s and contact details of the other driver, any passengers and witnesses
• Details of the incident including any photos of damage to your car and any others involved (if you’ve taken any)
• The location, including road or street names, and the nearest house or business numbers
• Any other relevant information such as road or weather conditions

Claiming on your insurance, no matter who’s fault it is, could increase your insurance costs. But you should always tell your insurer about any bumps or scrapes - no matter how minor they are. Remember, it’s not just claiming that can affect your car insurance costs. Other factors like your annual mileage, the type of car you drive and the cost of insurance in general can influence how much you pay.

Contact your insurer or broker to make a claim on your insurance. You should find their contact details on your policy document. If you can’t find your insurer's details, you could try using our insurer directory.

You still need to contact your insurer or broker even if the car accident wasn’t your fault. Remember to provide:

• The registration details of both vehicles
• The name and address of the registered owner of the car (if they aren’t driving it)
• The date and time of the incident
• Crime reference numbers if the police have been involved
• Your policy number
• The name/s and contact details of the other driver, any passengers and witnesses
• Photos of the damage to your car and any others involved (if you’ve taken any)
• The location, including road or street names, and the nearest house or business numbers
• Any other relevant information such as road or weather conditions

This depends on your car insurance policy. In most cases, you might have to add a courtesy car to your policy. To find out if you’re entitled to a courtesy car or to add one to your policy, check your policy details or speak to your insurer or broker.

If you have personal accident cover, you should be covered if you have a serious injury or if you die. Sometimes this is included if you have a comprehensive car insurance policy.

This isn’t guaranteed though, you should always check your policy to see what you’re covered for as some policies might not include personal injury as standard.

You should always tell your insurer if you’ve had an incident or accident, regardless of whether you want to claim or not. Once you’ve done this you can weigh up whether it’s worth claiming for the damage. If you can afford to foot the bill it could be worth paying. Any sort of claim could bump up your insurance prices.

Your insurer should contact you when the claim is settled. Or you can contact your insurer yourself to clarify whether it’s been settled.