The honest answer is that repair time and claim time are two different clocks. Your car can be back with you long before the paperwork behind it is finished. Here is what drives each timescale.
Two separate timescales
The repair timescale depends on damage, parts availability and paint cycles. Most straightforward panel repairs are days rather than weeks.
The claim timescale depends on liability being accepted, evidence being exchanged and figures being agreed between insurers. That can run for weeks or months in the background without affecting your use of the car.
↑ Back to contentsWhat usually slows a claim down
Almost every delay comes back to one of a small number of causes.
- Liability is disputed or the accounts of the two drivers differ
- The other driver is slow to report the incident to their insurer
- Evidence such as CCTV or witness statements is still being gathered
- The vehicle is a total loss and the valuation is being negotiated
- Parts are on back order from the manufacturer
What you can do to speed it up
Report it promptly, hand over clear evidence in one go rather than in pieces, and reply quickly when someone asks you for a detail. Claims that stall usually stall waiting for something small.
↑ Back to contentsFrequently asked questions
The insurance questions drivers ask us most
Straight answers on premiums, excess, write-offs and replacement vehicles, written by our Bristol repair team.
- Non-fault accident: what it means and what to do (UK guide)A plain-English UK guide to non-fault accidents: how liability is decided, your repair and replacement vehicle options, and the mistakes that cost drivers money.
- What to do after a car accident that wasn’t your faultThe exact steps to take at the scene, in the first 24 hours and in the first week after someone else hits your car in the UK.
- Will a non-fault accident affect my insurance? (UK)How a non-fault claim can show on your record, what happens to your premium and what to check with your insurer.
- Do I have to pay my insurance excess?When an excess applies after a non-fault accident, and the practical routes that can avoid paying one up front.
Your next steps
Based on what you have just read, these are the pages most drivers go to next.
Prefer to speak to someone now?
SAR Group is a repair-led accident support and bodyshop business, and your first point of contact after a non-fault accident. We are not an FCA-authorised claims management company: every non-fault case is handled through our authorised and regulated partner network.