Insurance Repairs or Paying Privately: How to Decide

Start with your excess

Almost every policy has an excess, which is the amount you pay towards any claim before the insurer pays the rest. Find yours in your policy schedule. If the repair would come out at around the same level as the excess, or only a little above it, there is little point claiming, because most of the bill would be yours anyway.

Remember that some policies have separate excesses for different kinds of claim, and that extra amounts can be added for things like younger drivers. Look at the whole picture, not just the headline figure.

What claiming can do to your premium

Making a claim can affect your no-claims discount and what you are asked to pay at renewal, particularly if the incident is recorded as your fault. How much it matters depends on the insurer, how your policy is set up and whether you have protected your discount. Check what yours says rather than assuming.

If the accident was not your fault and the other driver's insurer is picking up the bill, your position may be quite different, though you may still need to deal with your own insurer along the way. Your insurer can explain how your policy treats that situation.

• Find your excess in the policy schedule
• Check whether your no-claims discount is protected
• Ask how a claim would be recorded, fault or non-fault
• Ask whether you can choose the repairer
• Get an independent estimate before deciding

Small damage and larger damage

Light damage such as a scratch, a scuffed bumper corner or a shallow dent is often a candidate for a private repair, particularly when the work is cosmetic and limited to one panel. Bumper repairs, scratch repairs and dent removal can sometimes be done without replacing whole parts, though that depends on what an inspection shows.

Larger damage is a different story. Impact damage can run deeper than the paint: bent mounting brackets, a distorted panel, damaged sensors or even structural and chassis problems. Repairs that involve panel replacement, welding and structural work add up quickly, and an insurance claim may be the natural route. A thorough inspection tells you which category you are in.

How an insurance repair generally works

You report the incident, the insurer opens a claim and the damage is assessed, sometimes from photographs, sometimes by an engineer, sometimes at the repairer. The repairer is then authorised to carry out agreed work. If they find more damage once panels come off, they usually need to tell the insurer and agree the extra work before it goes ahead.

You will normally pay your excess to the repairer or the insurer, depending on how the claim is set up. Ask at the start who you pay, when, and what happens if the repair needs additional approval from the insurer, so there are no surprises when you collect the car.

Choosing where the repair is done

Some insurers suggest a repairer from their own network, and some policies allow you to nominate your own. If you have a say, look at the practical things: whether the bodyshop does the full job under one roof, whether they explain the repair clearly and whether they can handle the paintwork as well as the panel work.

At Banks of the Tyne in Hebburn we handle accident repairs and insurance repairs as part of a complete coachworks and bodyshop service. If you are weighing up options, you are welcome to ask us for an estimate and an honest explanation of what the car needs, whichever route you end up taking.

Getting an estimate before you decide

Even if you are inclined to claim, an independent estimate gives you a reference point. If the figure is close to your excess, you may decide to pay privately and keep the claim off your record. If it is well beyond it, you will understand why a claim makes sense.

Whatever you choose, make sure the estimate covers all the stages: repair or replacement of damaged parts, preparation, paint and finishing. Ask what could change the price, such as hidden damage found once the car is stripped.

Frequently asked questions