It is common for the other driver's insurer to call you directly, sometimes within hours of the accident. This is known in the industry as third party capture. You are allowed to slow it down.
Why they call so quickly
The at-fault insurer wants to control the cost of the claim. Handling your repair and any injury settlement directly is usually cheaper for them than dealing with it later through your insurer or a solicitor.
That is not automatically a bad thing, but their interest and your interest are not the same, and speed is not on your side.
↑ Back to contentsWhat to be careful about
Be polite, be factual, and be slow to agree anything on a first call.
- Do not accept an early settlement figure before the damage is assessed
- Do not accept an injury offer before you know how you heal
- Do not agree a repairer without checking who they are
- Do not give a recorded statement while you are shaken
- Do take a reference number and a name, and call back when ready
A sensible order to do things in
Tell your own insurer, get the vehicle properly assessed, understand the repair, and only then talk numbers. Once you know what the car actually needs, the conversation becomes much easier to hold.
↑ 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.
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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.