Should we make insurance claims on small accidents? Do we even consider claiming when we should? How often is too often?

Should we claim on insurance when it is only a small thing?  

The above happened to me a week ago.  I was not sure whether it was worth the claim on the ute.  The guy who hit me was very apologetic and actually just lovely.  

We were parked at the red light and he momentarily lost concentration and drove straight into the trailer full speed.  Luckily no one was hurt.  

He came to my house afterwards, taking full responsibility and organised to fix the trailer.  

I had thought about not contacting the insurance company, however, it is better to contact them sooner rather than later.

You may think, its just a bent towbar, just get a new one and carry on.  I priced up a new tow bar and ball and that came close to the excess on the insurance.  

This truck is used to tow a substantial boat so we need it to be back at it's pre-hit best.

If there is any further damage done by the impact, any further accident or problem with towing would not be covered at all, including if the boat came loose and caused a much more serious accident.

When I did get hold of the insurance company they told me not to drive it until it had been checked for further damage, it possibly has a damaged chassis which puts the safety of the whole vehicle (and everyone in it) in jeopardy.  

The lesson here is: "don't hesitate to call the insurance company"  

I have had a few illustrations of this recently with my learners.  

One person had recently found she had a leak, that must have been there for years, it had rotted away her bathroom from the inside out.  While the house insurance won't pay for the leak repair, it will pay for the damage done by the leak and put it back to what it was.  It is worth the conversation.

A lot of people are scared of losing "no-claims bonus" and also their "excess".  

Most, if not all, insurance companies will have a conversation with you prior to accepting the claim. They will find out if it is worth pursuing the claim and take this into account before approving it.  It never hurts (and costs you nothing) to ask.

Basically when things go wrong in my world, I look at two things with regards to repairs.  

1. Firstly I ask myself, "is this covered by Consumer Guarantees Act?"  if so I go back to the manufacturer or the contractor who did the work.
2. Secondly, I ask myself, "Is this product covered under my insurance?" if so I call the insurance company or fill out an online claim form asap.

All too often we don't even consider either of these and we carry on and pay for repairs or replacements ourselves.  Once we have completed the work there is no room for an insurance claim at all.

I hope this helps you, feel free to question, follow, like, share or comment on this blog.  Have a spectacular day and stay safe on the road!