How long does a car insurance claim take to settle?

No one wants to make a claim on their car insurance. But if you have to, there are things you can do to help the process run smoothly.

The claim process can take anything from a few days to a few months. It often depends on the type of claim, and how complex it is. ‍

The process is slower when:

• Multiple people are involved
• Lots of cars are damaged
• It's unclear who caused the accident

How can I make the claims process move faster? ‍

To make sure things move quickly, call us as soon as possible after the incident. Ideally within 24 hours. Our accident and new claims line is open 24/7, so you can ring us any time, any day.

This phone call will usually take around 15 to 30 minutes. We’ll make sure you’re okay and ask some questions about the incident. The more we know, the better! We’ll take it from there. ‍

What information will you ask me for?

‍First up, we’ll need to know the details of any other people involved in the car accident. If you don’t have all this to hand, that’s ok. It might just slow things down a bit. We’ll always ask for the following details:

• Name
• Phone number
• Insurance company of any other drivers
• Number plate

We’ll also ask you to describe what happened so we fully understand your side of the story. We’ll ask things like:

• Where did the incident happen?
• What was the weather like?
• What was the road like?
• Were the emergency services called?
• What damage was caused?

Please have your insurance policy details on hand when you call. You can find them all in the Marshmallow app.

Will I need to provide any evidence?

‍If you have any pictures or videos of the scene or the damage, even better. Anything that we can use as proof will help us if there is any disagreement with another driver over what happened or who was at fault.

And if you’ve made notes on your phone about the incident, that counts as evidence, too. Every bit of detail helps. Your claims handler will thank you for it!

What happens next?

‍We’ll get to work sorting out your claim and make sure to update you on its progress as we go.

Been involved in an accident and need to make a claim? Head to our claims page to get started.