Simple Car Insurance

at-fault crash

How an at-fault crash claim actually works

You hit someone. What happens next, what your insurer does, and what the excess actually costs you.

Typical timeline: Two to six weeks for a standard repair. Write-offs and disputes can take longer. Hire-car coverage typically capped at 14 days.

An at-fault crash is the claim type most people think of when they imagine 'making a claim'. You've crashed into another car, a fence, a power pole — and the damage is on your side of the ledger. The insurer's job, if you're on comprehensive cover, is to pay for the repair to your own car and to settle the third party's damage so you don't have to deal with it directly.

The first 24 hours matter. Your insurer wants the basic facts of the crash, contact details for any other party, and photos of the damage and the scene. None of that needs to be perfect — they'd rather have a rough phone-call summary on day one than a tidy email a week later. Don't admit fault verbally to the other driver at the scene; just exchange details and let the insurers work it out. Saying 'sorry' at the kerb is human, but technically it's something insurers prefer you didn't do.

From there, the insurer organises an assessor to inspect your car (often via uploaded photos for newer policies, in person for bigger jobs). They'll authorise repairs at a panel beater, decide whether to repair or write off the car, and pay the third party directly. Your part of the bill is the excess — typically $400–$600 for a standard policy, more if you're under 25 or if the policy has a young-driver excess loaded in. You pay the excess to the panel beater when you collect the car.

A few things are commonly misunderstood. First, your no-claim discount almost always resets after an at-fault claim — that's the bigger long-term cost than the excess itself, and it can add a few hundred dollars a year to your renewal for several years. Second, repairs done outside the insurer's approved network typically aren't covered. Third, if your car is written off, the payout is the agreed value (if you have it) or market value (if you don't), and market value is whatever the insurer's database says it is, not what you paid for it.

Steps, in order

  1. 1. Make the scene safe and exchange details

    Move out of traffic if it's safe. Get the other driver's name, contact, plate, and insurer if they'll share it. Photos of both cars, the scene, and any visible damage.

  2. 2. Don't admit fault to the other party

    Be polite, exchange details, but leave the question of fault to the insurers. They have a process for it.

  3. 3. Notify your insurer within 24–48 hours

    Phone or app. Rough facts are fine — they'd rather hear early. Have your policy number, the other driver's details, and a description of what happened.

  4. 4. Submit photos and assessor evidence

    Most insurers now ask for uploaded photos before sending an in-person assessor. Take more than you think you need.

  5. 5. Pay the excess on collection

    Once repairs are done, you pay the excess to the repairer. Your no-claim discount will likely reset at next renewal.

Common pitfalls

  • Admitting fault verbally to the other driver before the insurers have looked at it
  • Using a panel beater outside the insurer's approved network without pre-approval
  • Not realising the no-claim reset is the bigger long-term cost than the excess
  • Forgetting to disclose a previous at-fault claim at next renewal — insurers cross-check, and non-disclosure can void the policy

Other claim walkthroughs

not-at-fault crash

What happens when someone else hits you

The other driver is at fault. What you can claim, whether to use your insurer or theirs, and the excess question.

theft

When your car is stolen — claims, timelines, and what you actually get paid

Theft claims sit somewhere between simple and unpleasant. Here's the typical NZ experience.