How Third Party Insurance Works After a Car Accident
Third party, or third party fire and theft insurance policies don't cover the cost of repairs on your own vehicle if you're involved in a car accident, however they will cover the cost of any damage caused to other vehicles or property if you are at fault.
First of all, it's very important that you notify your insurance company of any car accident you're involved in as soon as possible, even if you have only third party cover. If you were responsible for the accident (or the other driver believes you were responsible), it's almost certain that a claim will be made against you, which your insurance company will be expected to pay, so they need to know about any accident you're involved in straight away.
Information to gather after an accident
Gather as much information as you can at the scene of the accident. We covered this when we listed the actions to take immediately following an accident, but here's a brief summary:
- Date and time of the accident and the weather/visibility conditions at the time
- Details of any other drivers, vehicles (and the registered keeper, if not the driver) and their insurance information
- A description of any injuries to drivers or passengers, and the damage to other vehicles or property
- A brief description of how the accident happened, together with any sketches or photographic evidence you collected at the scene
- Contact details of any independent witnesses
- If the police attended the accident, give your insurer their contact details and a Crime Reference Number, if relevant
- Make a note of any other relevant information, such as whether headlights or indicators were used.
Recovering expenses if you weren't at fault
If you don't believe you were responsible for the accident it might still be possible to cover your out of pocket expenses (such as the cost of car repairs, care hire, loss of earnings, injury compensation etc) by making a claim against the other driver. Your claim will be dealt with by their insurance company.
Related Information
How to Make an Insurance Claim After an Accident
Third Party Fire & Theft Cover