The Principle: You Should Be No Worse Off
UK law is clear — if another driver causes an accident, their insurer must put you back in the position you were in before the crash. That means a fully repaired car, a comparable courtesy vehicle, and zero out-of-pocket cost. Yet thousands of drivers each year pay an excess they never needed to, simply because they went through their own insurer first.
Why Going Through Your Own Insurer Costs You
When you claim on your own policy:
- You pay your excess upfront (typically £250–£600).
- Your no-claims discount is paused or reduced until liability is recovered — which can take months.
- Your next renewal premium often rises even when liability is eventually proven against the other driver.
The Better Route: Credit Repair via 1st Choice Accident Repair Centre
If the accident was clearly the other party's fault, we can take the claim directly to their insurer on your behalf. No claim is ever logged against your own policy. The process:
- You call 1st Choice Accident Repair Centre on 029 2048 8885 instead of your insurer.
- We capture the at-fault driver's details (registration, insurer, policy number where possible).
- We arrange a like-for-like hire car at the at-fault insurer's expense.
- We carry out the repair to OEM standards.
- We invoice the at-fault insurer directly. You pay nothing.
What "Clearly Non-Fault" Means
The strongest cases include rear-end shunts, being hit while parked, and incidents where the other driver admits liability or there is independent witness/dash-cam evidence. Grey areas (junction disputes, lane changes) can still go down this route — we'll assess it on day one.
Watch for These Insurer Tactics
- "You must use our repairer for the claim to proceed." Untrue. You can choose any repairer.
- "We'll only pay a £40/hr labour rate." Not your problem on a non-fault claim — that's a dispute between insurers.
- "Your courtesy car is a small hatchback." You're entitled to like-for-like on a non-fault recovery.
- "Take a cash settlement." Often offered well below true repair cost. Don't accept without us reviewing it.
What If the Other Driver Was Uninsured?
Don't panic — the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) covers claims against uninsured and untraced drivers. We'll guide you through that submission as part of our service.
Call Us Before You Call Them
The order matters. Ring 1st Choice Accident Repair Centre on 029 2048 8885 first. We'll tell you whether credit repair fits your situation and, if so, take the whole thing off your hands. Email newclaims@1stchoicearc.com for a callback if you'd prefer.