What should I do if I have caused damage to another car?
From the moment a car's license plate is in your name, you must purchase car insurance. You need to take out at least third-party car insurance. This way you are insured when you cause damage to another car. What exactly should you do when this happens?
Damage caused to other car what should I do now?
An accident is in a small corner. It can happen that you cause a collision on the highway or accidentally crash your car into a parked car on your street. It is then important that you know what to do. We are happy to help you on your way.
Initially, it is important to get yourself and others involved to safety. If there are injuries or the damage is very severe, call the police and/or ambulance. If the cars are blocking traffic and can still move, park the cars on the side of the road in a safe place. Do not stand on the emergency lane yourself, but stand behind the guardrail or on the shoulder of the road. Where possible, take pictures of the situation and ask any witnesses for their details. Also, always fill out a claim form together with the other party. Also read our article "How do I get a European claim form?"
How should you fill out a claim form?
Filling in a claim form after a collision is very important. The insurer may even require a claim form for processing the claim. The insurer can extract a lot of information from this form. The insurer will also be able to assess whether the damage can be recovered from the person who caused it.
Make sure you fill out the claim form together with the other party. By filling out the claim form together, you avoid misunderstandings and do not give the other party a chance to fill in anything other than the truth. Try to be alert and make sure everything is properly recorded and taken care of. Make sure both the front and back are filled out. Don't just put your signature on the claim form. Especially not when you disagree with what has been filled out. Under 'My Comments' you have the chance to write down what you disagree with, contrary to what the other party claims, and what you think is the truth. Do not sign the claim form until you have mentioned this.
How am I insured if I caused damage?
Your car insurance coverage determines whether and what you will be paid out after a claim.
Damage driven at another person's house what now?
Every car owner in the Netherlands is required to have at least third-party car insurance. WA stands for legal liability. With this insurance you are insured for damages for which you can be held liable. This car insurance has the least extensive coverage and is therefore the cheapest car insurance you can take out. Damage to another person is covered with this insurance.
Damage to yourself what is the best thing to do?
Damage to your own car is not covered with a third-party car insurance. If you also want to insure the damage to your own car, you can choose a WA limited-casco or an all-risk car insurance. Which coverage you can best choose depends on a number of factors. The daily value of your car, the monthly premium, how dependent you are on the car and the number of claim-free years you have accumulated are important things to consider when choosing coverage.
Loss of claim-free years in the event of an accident
For every year that you do not claim on your car insurance you will receive 1 claim-free year. The more claim-free years you have, the more discount you get on the premium of your car insurance. When claiming a culpable damage, you fall back 5 claim-free years. A fault damage means that when you accidentally hit another car, the fault can be attributed to you. Because of this, the other party's damage will be claimed from your car insurance. For every damage claimed, you lose 5 claim-free years, regardless of the amount of the damage.
Do you have questions regarding claims or claim-free years? Please feel free to contact us. We can be reached Monday through Friday between 08:00 and 18:00 at telephone number 088-6883700.
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