How to make a car insurance claim

28 January 2020

f you've been involved in a car accident and you've got car insurance with us, you may want to make a claim. Luckily, Bingle makes it easy.

Here are a few things that may be handy to know in case you need to make a car insurance claim.

What to do if you're in a car accident

If you've ever been in a car accident, or know someone who has, you'll know how stressful and disorienting they can be. It's important to try to stay calm.

  • First things first; make sure everyone is safe, including yourself. Call emergency services if necessary. Safely move to the side of the road or a side street, if possible.
  • You shouldn't offer to pay for damage or admit fault - this will be sorted out later during the claim process.
  • Where possible, exchange details with all other people involved, including:
    • Full names and addresses of drivers and registration numbers of the vehicles. Phone numbers are also helpful.
    • Full names and phone numbers of any witness that saw the accident.
    • Whether or not the person driving is the car owner/policy holder. They may be driving their mum's car, or a friend's. You'll want to get the insurance details of whoever holds the policy for the vehicle.
  • Take plenty of photos of the accident and damage.
  • As soon as possible, write down everything you can remember about the accident, including when and where it occurred. You could record this on your phone if you don't have pen and paper handy.
  • If your car has been stolen or maliciously damaged, report this to the police and give us your police report number.
  • Decide whether you want to lodge a claim.
  • If you decide to lodge your claim with us, simply log on to self-service and follow the prompts. We'll guide you through the process.
  • Got Comprehensive Car Insurance with us? Great! You can arrange a tow if needed. Already been towed? You can claim the reasonable cost of towing as part of your claim. Just be sure to keep your receipt.

When should I lodge a car insurance claim?

If you decide to lodge a claim, it's a good idea to do it sooner rather than later. There are a few reasons for this:

  • The closer to the incident or accident that you lodge a claim, the fresher the events will be in your mind. This can help you give us a better, more accurate depiction of what occurred.
  • As time passes, it could get harder for us to assess your claim and find out exactly who was at fault.
  • If you keep driving a damaged car, you could cause more damage to it.
  • For Bingle Comprehensive car insurance holders:
    The quicker you get your claim in, the quicker you may have your car back following repairs and/or any payments you're entitled to.
    We don't cover additional damage that occurs from driving your car after an accident. Plus, when it comes time to renew your insurance, we may not be able to provide you with cover if your car has existing damage.
  • For Bingle Third Party property insurance holders:
    Obviously if you hold a Third Party Property car insurance policy, damage to your car won't be covered. But you need to lodge a claim if you are liable in an accident so we can act on your behalf with the other, not at fault party. We will be able to liaise with their insurer so you don't have to worry about it.

Do I have to make a car insurance claim?

Here's the thing. You don't have to make a claim with us. You can decide what will be best for you based on your own personal circumstances.

Need to make a claim? Find out more about our claims process.

Interested in Bingle car insurance? Learn more about Comprehensive Car Insurance and Third Party Property Car Insurance.