FAQ's

Claims

• How do I make a claim?
• Who will repair my vehicle?
• Why do I have to pay my Excess when it was not my fault?
• If my vehicle is a total loss what will happen?
• Do I need to advise you of an incident even if I do not intend to claim under my policy?
• Do I need to contact the Police after an accident?
• What should I do if my vehicle is stolen?
• How can I find out how my claim is progressing?
• Do I need to pay my Excess even if the claim was not my fault?
• What do I do if I receive any correspondence from the other driver or their insurers?
• What will happen if the other driver disputes the accident circumstances?
• How do Westminster safeguard against fraudulent claims?
• Will I lose my No Claims Discount if I make a claim?

Policy

• What is Excess?
• What is a No Claims Discount?
• Do I really need public liability insurance?

Travelling Abroad

• Am I covered if I travel in my Hire & Reward vehicle abroad?

Becoming a Westminster Insurance Agent

• How do I become a Westminster Insurance Agent?

Employment with Westminster Insurance

• Application to Westminster Insurance head office for job opportunities

Q: How do I make a claim?
If you are involved in an accident simply contact your Agent who will take details of the incident.

Your Agent will review your policy cover and confirm the amount of your Excess which will apply. If the damage to your vehicle is covered they will arrange for an Engineer to inspect the vehicle and authorise the appropriate repairs.

Q: Who will repair my vehicle?
You are free to use any repairer of your choice, you will need to provide your Agent with an estimate for the repairs and they will inform the Engineer of the details so they have all the information to hand when they inspect the vehicle.

Q: Why do I have to pay my Excess when it was not my fault?
When a customer takes out a policy with Westminster Insurance they agree to cover the policy Excess (as long as they have fully comprehensive cover). It is a contribution towards the cost of the repairs if a claim is made. It then becomes the responsibility of an uninsured loss company to recover the Excess and any other uninsured losses from the responsible party or their insurance company.

Q: If my vehicle is a total loss what will happen?
The Engineer will inspect the damage to your vehicle and if it exceeds the market value then it's probable we will consider it to be a total loss. Should this be the case the Engineer will place a value on the vehicle prior to the damage taking place, this will take account of the age, condition of the body work, interior and mileage. The valuation will be based on car value guides and market trends for similar vehicles.

Once a settlement figure is agreed and we have successfully completed checks to safeguard against fraud the payment will be sent to you, subject to the deduction of your Excess.

Q: Do I need to advise you of an incident even if I do not intend to claim under my policy?
All claims must be notified to your Agent even if you do not intend to claim for damage to your vehicle. In many cases other people involved in the incident will contact us and we need to understand your version of events in order that we an represent you appropriately.

Q: Do I need to contact the Police after an accident?
If you are involved in an accident and anyone is injured you should also report this to the Police.

Q: What should I do if my vehicle is stolen?
If your vehicle is stolen this must be reported to the nearest Police Station who will provide you with a crime reference number. You should then contact your Agent who will take details of the incident and your claim will be assigned to a specialist claims handler who will undertake the appropriate investigations and also use industry databases to safeguard against fraud.

Once investigations have successfully been completed and a settlement figure agreed, payment will be sent to you subject to the deduction of your Excess.

Q: How can I find out how my claim is progressing?
Your claim will be assigned to a dedicated claims handler and you can contact your Agent or us to check on the progress of your claim.

Q: Do I need to pay my Excess even if the claim was not my fault?
The Excess is the amount for which you are personally responsible; we will pay the balance of damage covered. If you do not feel the claim was your fault we can refer you to a reputable Accident Management Company who may be able to assist you to recover your Excess and any other losses you suffered from the person responsible for the accident.

Q: What do I do if I receive any correspondence from the other driver or their insurers?
If you receive any correspondence from any other person involved in the incident or anyone acting on their behalf please forward this to us immediately and we will respond on your behalf.

Q: What will happen if the other driver disputes the accident circumstances?
When notifying the incident to you Agent it is important that you provide full details of what happened and details of any witnesses. We will present the other party, or anyone acting on their behalf, with the evidence to defend your position.

However there are occasions where the evidence does not fully support any one party and responsibility may have to be shared. If this happens we will act on your behalf to negotiate the best possible settlement with the other parties involved.

Q: How do Westminster safeguard against fraudulent claims?
Whilst fraud may only be committed by a small proportion of people it is an increasing problem and ranges from fabricating an incident through to inflating a claim. We are committed to identifying these people and use a range of industry databases to exchange information with other insurers, the Police and other bodies about claims and fraudsters.

Q: Will I lose my No Claims Discount if I make a claim?
We will assess the incident and as soon as we receive confirmation from the other party that they will not be claiming from you for their injury or damage and that they accept liability for the incident, then your No Claim Discount will not be affected. In many cases the circumstances are fairly straightforward and this decision can be made relatively quickly.

If you feel your No Claim Discount has been reduced unfairly due to a claim, please contact your Agent who has immediate access to the person handling your claim and will ensure the situation is investigated for you.

Q: What is Excess?
This is the amount you have to pay towards any loss or damage to your vehicle, whether the incident is your fault or not. Your Agent will advise you of the amount you are liable to pay and this is confirmed in your policy documents that are issued to you.

Q: What is a No Claims Discount?
For every year you do not make a claim the more No Claims Discount you can earn, up to a maximum of 6 years, thereby reducing your premium.

If you make a claim and the other party accepts it is their fault your No Claim Discount will not be affected and you will continue to earn the discount as if the claim had never happened.

Q: Do I really need public liability insurance?
Westminster is one of the few insurers who automatically provide public liability cover to all our Public and Private Hire policyholders because many Local Authorities insist on this additional cover to protect the public against injury, loss or damage that is not covered by a normal motor policy.

Q: Am I covered if I travel in my Hire & Reward vehicle abroad?
Your policy automatically covers you to drive in EU countries for up to 31 consecutive days. If you have any doubt whether the country you are visiting is included your Agent will be happy to provide the appropriate guidance.

Q: How do I become a Westminster Insurance Agent?
Please write in to: Sales and Marketing, 21 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0PN, explaining why you think you would be a good Agent and the area that you would like to be based in.

Q: Application to Westminster Insurance head office for job opportunities
Applications and any c.v will only be considered if sent in response to a specific advert that Westminster Insurance have posted on the website. Please do not send your CV on a speculative basis.

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