Making a claim
It's never a nice thing to do but that's why you have car insurance and we’re here to help.
For windscreen claims, please call 0845 128 8000. (You must have comprehensive cover.)
Lines are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For all other motor claims, please call Onecall on 0845 121 2290.
Lines are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For all other non motor claims, please see our list of numbers.
For further help, please refer to the links below.
- I've had an accident
- My vehicle has been stolen
- My windscreen/window is broken
- How do I pay the excess?
- How long does a claim take to be settled?
- Should I use an approved repairer?
- What if my vehicle is not repairable?
- How do you decide the value of my vehicle?
- It wasn’t my fault, how do I claim for personal injury and out of pocket expenses?
I've had an accident
Firstly, I hope you and the other passengers are okay. We have provided a short guide below on how best to deal with an accident including when you need to contact the police, what information would be useful and how to make the claim.
The law says
- You must stop if you are involved in any incident involving an injury to any person or certain animals, or if other vehicles or roadside property are damaged.
- If you own the vehicle, you must give your name, address and insurance details to anyone who has a good reason for asking. If you do not own the vehicle, you must give the owner’s name and address and the registration mark of the vehicle.
- If there is either an injury or you do not give your details to anyone at the scene, you must report the incident to the police within 24 hours, and present your certificate of motor insurance to them within five days.
To help with the claims process
- Do not apologise or admit that it was your fault.
- Try to collect the following information to give to the Onecall claims helpline. This will help to speed up your claim.
- Full details of the other drivers, including their phone numbers, and the registration numbers of all vehicles involved.
- Details of any injuries
- Other property damage
- Details of any witnesses (if there are any)
- Police officers names and their report references (if any)
- Full details of what happened.
Taking photos with a camera or mobile phone can help to confirm certain accident details.
Making a claim
- Have your certificate of motor insurance ready.
- Call the Onecall 24-hour claims helpline on 0845 121 2290.
My vehicle has been stolen
1. Report the theft to the police immediately and make a note of their crime book reference number.
2. If you know where the vehicle is, try to make sure that it is safe and secure.
3. Tell us about the theft as quickly as you can. If the vehicle is not found, we will ask you to send all vehicle documents and keys directly to Fortis your insurer (we will give you the address when you report the theft to us.)
You must tell us immediately if your car is found after it has been stolen.
My windscreen/window is broken
If you have comprehensive cover:
- Call the Fortis glassline on 0845 128 8000 to arrange for the glass to be repaired or replaced. If you phone this number and use one of Fortis’ chosen glass companies, cover is unlimited. If not, the most Fortis will pay is £100 after taking off any excess.
- Repairing a windscreen or window instead of replacing it can save you paying a £60 excess, as well as reducing waste and helping the environment. Ask about this when calling the Fortis glassline on the number above.
The drawings below may help you to recognise whether or not the break can be repaired.
Cracks up to five centimetres (two inches) and breaks the size of a £1 coin can generally be repaired.
If you do not have comprehensive cover, you can still phone the number above but you will have to pay the cost of replacing or repairing the windscreen or window.
Should I use an approved repairer?
We would recommend that you use an approved repairer wherever possible for the following reasons:
- They have a direct relationship with Fortis, so you don’t need to try and find cost estimates saving you time and money.
- When your car is being repaired a courtesy car is available to you free of charge.
- They will collect and deliver your car from your house or another pre-arranged location.
- They will clean and tidy your car after the repairs have been completed.
- All repairs are guaranteed for 3 years.
- Fortis have chosen them due to their reliability, service and professionalism.
Unless, there is an issue with distance or availability, there is really no need to use another repairer.
How do I pay the excess?
You can find details of the excesses that apply on your schedule of insurance.
If you have an excess to pay;
- The excess on your policy is payable whether the accident is your fault or not. If the accident was not your fault, you may be able to claim this back from the other drivers insurance company. You can do this through your legal expense cover if you purchased it.
- You must pay the repairer this amount when you collect your vehicle, or
- If your vehicle is declared a 'total loss', Fortis will take the excess from the final offer.
How long does a claim take to be settled?
This depends upon the type of claim that you are making:
If your car is repairable…
…and you have comprehensive cover, you should expect to have a repairer appointed within 48 hours of you reporting your claim (although it may take slightly longer at weekends).
…you should expect repairs to be authorised within 5 days of an engineer inspecting your vehicle.
If your car is a total loss (write off)…
…the claim is usually settled within 4 - 6 weeks, from notification.
…you should expect to be told of this within 24 hours of the inspection taking place
…once you accept the offer and providing your documents are in order, you should receive a cheque within 5 to 7 working days.
If your car is stolen and not recovered…
…you can expect your claim to proceed within 21 days of your car being stolen. This allows time for the vehicle to be found.
In all cases, your claim may be delayed if you do not respond promptly to any communication from Fortis.
What if my vehicle is not repairable?
We may not be able to repair your vehicle. This could be for a number of reasons;
- It is impossible to repair.
- It isn't safe to repair.
- The repair costs exceed the market value of your vehicle.
If we feel that your vehicle is unlikely to be repairable, we will arrange for it to be assessed by a qualified Engineer. Unfortunately, if we are unable to repair your vehicle we will not be able to provide you with a courtesy car. If you have purchased our Keep Motoring Replacement Hire Car product, call 0800 707 6457 and you will be able to get a hire car for up to 14 days.
Once the Engineer has seen your vehicle they will forward their detailed report to our Claims Department who will offer you a settlement amount. Any outstanding vehicle finance (this is paid directly to the finance company) is deducted from this amount as is the policy excess.
We also require the original Vehicle Registration Document and the current MOT Certificate (if applicable) before we can process your refund.
Your vehicle will then be scrapped and wherever possible as many parts as possible will be recycled or resold depending upon your vehicle’s condition.
How do you decide the value of my vehicle?
There are many factors that affect the value of your vehicle. Before an offer is made, Fortis will check the current retail selling price for your vehicle based on its age, condition and mileage. A fair offer will be made to you.
If you are unhappy with the valuation of your vehicle, you should contact your claims advisor and discuss this further with them. If this is because you have done any specific work to your car, it is useful if you are able to provide evidence of receipts etc.
It wasn’t my fault, how do I claim for personal injury and out of pocket expenses?
You may be able to claim your excess back as well as other out of pocket expenses such as hiring alternative transport, repairs to your car (if you don’t have comprehensive cover) and personal injury etc.
If you haven’t already done so, ensure that you notify Onecall on 0845 121 2290 of the accident. Onecall will pass your details on to Albany your legal expenses provider who will then contact you to discuss this with you. Alternatively you can contact Albany direct on 0800 707 6456 but please note Albany cannot deal with your motor claim.