Young, fun and getting charged a ton: How to avoid paying out a fortune if you are hit by another driver on the roads

Matt | March 19, 2013 | 0 Comments

How often do you hear of young or new drivers paying more for their insurance than for the car itself? Even when it’s just a 1-litre wonder from the local second-hand car garage? Just getting the bare minimum third party cover can cost a small fortune when you’ve got nothing but a student loan and a weekend job to pay for it. Throw in the soaring petrol costs in the UK and there’s not even enough left over for a Cup a Soup. So the last thing you want is to see your premium go up if somebody shunts you from behind at the traffic lights.

One of the reasons so many young drivers find themselves having to claim on their insurance is because they are unaware that they don’t have to pay out if a road traffic accident was actually the fault of the other party. A more experienced driver may even take advantage of the situation and ask for your insurance details to claim from your insurer. And even if the other party takes the blame, your insurer may still put big black mark by your name when it comes to negotiating your next premium. This creates a vicious circle because increases in young driver claims only encourages insurance companies to put up your premiums.

What many young drivers don’t know is that somebody else hitting you shouldn’t affect your no claims bonus, excess or premium. What they need instead is the right advice.

So what should you do when you are in a collision or hit in the car park? At Winn Solicitors we advise that you seek the right legal advice before going through proceedings you may have no control over. As specialists in road traffic accidents for young and new drivers, we walk customers through the process of making a claim and liaise directly with the other party’s insurers to protect your rights. In a non-fault case we can ensure that the repairs, replacement vehicles, medical treatment and any compensation is collected in full without affecting your policy. Why is this important? Well, when you come to renew, you’ll want your careful driving to be rewarded with a no claims discount. Building up no claims discounts over a period of years can save you hundreds of pounds.

If you are a young driver and have been in a road traffic accident in the last three years we can help. Simply contact us through our website, on facebook or via our twitter account. Download our mobile app and it could be even easier, check out the website and live chat.