Car damage: what now?

It is always a hassle when your car gets damaged. You have to arrange a lot, especially if your car can no longer drive. A short help with car damage:

• Collision with another car
• Collision with an object
• Collision with stray animals
• Brand
• Storm damage

Collision with another car

Have you had a collision with another car? Is the other party at fault? Then the damage to your car will be reimbursed by the third party's third party insurance. To do this, you must send the claim form to your insurance company. Your insurance company will hold the other party liable and ensure that you receive compensation for the damage. The other party's insurance company will call in an expert who will assess the damage to your car. Based on this assessment, the damage to your car will be reimbursed. Note: you are not obliged to have the damage repaired by the company where the expertise was. You can also choose to have the damage amount paid out, and find a damage repairer yourself who can repair your car (hopefully for a lower amount),

Are you at fault for the collision? Then your third-party car insurance will cover the damage to the other party's car. The damage to your own car will only be covered if you have fully comprehensive car insurance (all-risk).

Collision with an object

Did you crash into a pole or a lamppost? If the damage is your own fault and cannot be recovered from another party, then the damage to your own car will only be reimbursed if you have fully comprehensive insurance. The damage to the lamppost, for example, will be paid by your third-party insurance.

Collision with stray animals

With limited casco insurance (sometimes also called WA plus), or with an all-risk insurance, this damage is reimbursed. Contact your insurance company for this. Damage caused by stray animals usually has no consequences for your no-claim discount. However, you may have to pay a deductible, if this is included in your policy conditions.

Brand

If you are faced with a car fire, there is a good chance that you will not be able to use the car afterwards. Once a car burns, usually everything goes. But who is going to pay for that? In the case of fire, it also depends on how you are insured. If you only have third-party insurance, unfortunately you will have to pay for this yourself. However, if you have third-party plus or all-risk insurance, the insurance will pay for this (after investigation).

Storm damage

Does your car have storm damage, for example due to a broken branch? If you have car insurance with limited or full coverage, storm damage (wind force 7 or higher) will be reimbursed. In the event of storm damage, you are not at fault. With most car insurers, claiming storm damage therefore has no consequences for the no-claim discount. However, you may have to pay a deductible if this applies to your car insurance.

Types of insurance

You will notice that it makes quite a difference what kind of insurance you have. I will list the 3 possibilities that most car insurers in the Netherlands offer:

• Third party liability insurance: mandatory for every car. This insurance only covers damage you cause to other vehicles or objects. Damage to your own car is therefore not covered.
• WA plus/limited hull: an additional insurance that, in addition to the WA part, also covers fire, theft and glass damage to your car. This insurance is more expensive than just WA.
• Fully comprehensive/all-risk: an insurance that covers all damage, even damage that is your own fault. Both to your car and to other cars or other objects. This is also the most expensive insurance.