Here's hypothetical one for you....
Driver gets hit twice within a year. Both non-fault accidents.
First accident goes through 3rd party's insurers no problems. Driver does not need to get his own insurance involved at all.
Second one they guy is a bastard and takes months to sort out. Driver has to get own insurance company involved. However, 3rd party's insurance
admits liability.
Will the driver be penalised come renewal time and, if so, can he claim against the other drivers for the extra cost?
[Edited on 7/3/06 by stevebubs]
Hypothetically
1. Probably
2. No, driver will in all probability spend more time, money and effort that the paying the additional premium.
Technically driver should inform his insurance company about both incidents, when asked "any accidents or claims regardless of blame", so
even if someone hit your car and paid cash you're "supposed" to tell them - people often don't though.
As for whether the effect then you'll never "really" know, all insurance companies use different weightings. They shouldn't, but
they may see more than one non-fault claim as you being a regular wrong-place-at-wrong-time typa guy and stiff you anyway.
A good way to test is to go to an online insurance quoter and get a quote with 0, 1, 2, 3 non-fault claims and see if it makes a difference.
Online insurance thingies are useful for things like this, you can quickly see the impact of points, claims, garage-vs-street, alarm, moving to
different postcode etc. Very handy.
quote:
Originally posted by gingerprince
Technically driver should inform his insurance company
In the first case, the insurance co will know about the first accident as the combined database is all seeing, all knowing and omnipresent. If your
name, or reg are recorded for any reason, even on just getting a quote, they will compare the details you declare on every one, and store it for any
insurer to view (listen to the warning when you call a claims department)
Second case, your NCB will be suspended and you will pay a higher premium (having had an accident within the last 5 years). Once your insurance
company reclaim the cost of the repairs from the other party, your NCB will be retored and the accident will be recorded as non fault. Your current
insurance company will refund the difference in cost, if you have a new insurer, you may have a bit more of a struggle (neigh on impossible!).
Good fun this insurance lark 
quote:
Originally posted by gingerprince
Technically driver should inform his insurance company about both incidents, when asked "any accidents or claims regardless of blame", so even if someone hit your car and paid cash you're "supposed" to tell them - people often don't though.
quote:
As for whether the effect then you'll never "really" know, all insurance companies use different weightings. They shouldn't, but they may see more than one non-fault claim as you being a regular wrong-place-at-wrong-time typa guy and stiff you anyway.
A good way to test is to go to an online insurance quoter and get a quote with 0, 1, 2, 3 non-fault claims and see if it makes a difference.
Online insurance thingies are useful for things like this, you can quickly see the impact of points, claims, garage-vs-street, alarm, moving to different postcode etc. Very handy.
I was once shunted (slightly) by a car not stopping quite as fast as me. only damage was a small crack in my bumper skirt. The guy paid for the repair rather than claim on his insurance. I phoned my insurance company and they said they didn't want to know unless the guy didn't pay up, in which case they'd help me. Very fair I thought.