A non-fault claim is a claim where another party is treated as responsible and your insurer usually recovers its costs from them or their insurer.
A non-fault claim is an insurance claim where another person, business, or insurer is treated as responsible for the loss.
In car or van insurance, this often means another driver caused the accident. Your insurer may then recover the claim cost from that driver’s insurer.
The word “fault” can cause confusion. In insurance, it does not always mean someone did something wrong. The Financial Ombudsman Service explains fault claims can also happen when an insurer cannot recover its costs. For example, this could happen after a hit-and-run where the other driver is not found.
So, a non-fault claim usually means the insurer has recovered, or expects to recover, the cost from someone else.
A non-fault claim will not always reduce your no-claims bonus. If the insurer has recovered its costs and recorded the claim as non-fault by renewal, and you were not at fault, your no-claims bonus should usually not be affected.
But if the claim is still open, the insurer may wait until liability and recovery are settled. During that time, your no-claims bonus may be affected.
No-claims bonus rules can vary between insurers. The ABI explains no-claims bonuses and discounts, including how claims history may affect a premium. A protected no-claims bonus may stop the discount being reduced, but the premium or excess could still change after a claim.
Yes, it can.
A non-fault claim may still affect the price or terms of future insurance. This can happen even if your no-claims bonus is not reduced.
Insurers may look at your wider claims history when they work out a quote. This can include fault claims, non-fault claims, open claims, settled claims, claim costs, and when each incident happened.
This does not mean every insurer will treat a non-fault claim in the same way. Some may place more weight on it than others. The effect can depend on the insurer, the policy, the date of the claim, and the full details.
If another driver caused the accident, you may be able to recover your excess from the responsible party or their insurer. However, the process can vary.
MoneyHelper explains insurance excess and says your insurer or credit hire company may try to recover it for you where it is clear the accident was not your fault.
You should check your policy wording. Some costs may need to be recovered from the other party or their insurer, rather than paid by your own insurer.
Yes, when an insurer asks about accidents, damage, or claims, you should answer fully and accurately.
MoneyHelper’s car insurance guide says you need to declare accidents or damage when you renew your policy, even if you did not claim against your insurer.
The Financial Ombudsman Service explains misrepresentation and non-disclosure. For consumer insurance, customers must take reasonable care not to give wrong or incomplete information.
An insurer may ask for the claim date, what happened, the claim cost, whether anyone was injured, whether the claim is open or closed, and whether your no-claims bonus was affected.
At Got You Covered, we arrange insurance for people whose details may not fit a standard quote. This can include drivers with previous claims, accidents, motoring convictions, or a low no-claims bonus.
We may also be able to help with van insurance, home insurance, and landlord insurance where previous claims are part of the risk.
We can help you explain your claims history clearly. We cannot promise acceptance, a lower price, or that a claim will be treated in a certain way. Cover, price, excesses, and terms depend on the insurer, the policy, and the full details.
A non-fault claim usually means another party was responsible and the insurer can recover the cost. It may protect your no-claims bonus once the claim is settled, but it can still affect future insurance.
Always check your policy wording and declare accidents or claims when asked.
