car insurance Claims Process

All you need to know about claiming on your car insurance

We make it simple for you to claim on your car insurance

Here's the process in four easy steps

Step 1

Need to make a claim? Here is what to do first

Call us on 0330 678 5550* to report your claim to one of our dedicated claims team members. We check that you're covered by your insurance and explain if you have to pay any excess. The more details you can give us during your first call, the quicker we can process your claim. Below is the most important details you could provide us with:

The person you had the accident with

Their name, Address, telephone number, vehicle registration

Photo/video upload for either car

Photos of the damage to the cars, dashcam footage

After you have had your call with us we will send you a link where you will be able to upload your photos/videos.

Any witnesses?

Contact number is the most important
Their name and address would be nice to have but it's not essential

*Calls may be recorded. For Text Phone first dial 18001. Lines are open 24/7.

STEP 2

The claims team springs into action

We arrange for your vehicle to be repaired. If your vehicle's beyond repair, we may class it as a total loss (or write off). If your vehicle is too badly damaged to drive then we'll arrange to collect it.
If you have our guaranteed hire car cover, we make sure you've got a car to use while yours is out of action. And, if you've been hurt, we can organise legal help to look after that side of your claim.
If your vehicle is able to be repaired, you can use one of our recommended garages to get it fixed. This allows us to manage the full repair process, from estimating the damage, to returning your vehicle once the work's complete. Our recommended repairers also provide you with a Lifetime guarantee on repairs (when using our recommended repairer service, for as long as you own the vehicle. Labour only, excludes parts). If there is an excess to pay*, you need to pay this to the garage once repairs are completed.
If there's extensive damage to your vehicle and your car needs to be written off, then we'll arrange for an engineer to value your vehicle. We always check that you agree with the valuation before continuing. If there's an excess to pay, this will be taken out of the valuation.

*If you don't use an LV= Recommended Repairer you will need to pay an additional £200 excess and we can't offer a courtesy car (if you have this cover) or warranty on the repairs.

Watch our video guide on what happens when your vehicle can't be repaired

View video transcript

At LV=, we know life isn’t always a smooth ride. So it's important to have car cover that meets your needs at a price which is affordable to you.

If you have an incident where it’s more cost-effective to write your car off than repair it, then we’ll guide you through our total loss process

to make sure you get a fair price for your vehicle, and get you back on the road as soon as possible.

Once you’ve given our claims team a call, we’ll arrange for one of our approved garages to contact you and collect your vehicle.

The garage will then send us images, a detailed report, and an estimate. Using all of this, our engineers will calculate the market value of your vehicle using industry standard guides.

If the cost of repairs are more than the market value, we’ll compile a total loss report and call you to discuss the next steps and arrange payment to you.

We'll also advise you on everything you need to complete for the DVLA and how to add another vehicle on to your policy, for when you get one.

Before our salvage agents come and collect your vehicle from your home or our garage, don’t forget to remove any personal belongings and wipe any data stored on the media system.

If your vehicle is less than a year old and you’re the first and only registered keeper, we’ll replace it with a new one, otherwise you’ll receive your claim settlement figure.

For more information go direct to LV.com

Step 3

What happens next?

If someone else was involved in the incident, we look after all the negotiations with them or their insurance company.
Depending on the situation, we'll either try to get back all the costs of the claim from the other side, including any excesses you may have paid, or we'll try to settle the claim with the other people involved under the best possible terms.

Step 4

Completion

Once everything has been finalised and payments made, your claim is then closed
You can still get in touch if you have any questions about your claim - we'll be very happy to help