Best Car Insurance - General Provision

When comparing different providers online to find the best car insurance, a common question is whether you are likely to be able to claim back the full costs of any loss relating to an accident caused by another person. Clearly, we all take out a minimum of third party cover by law to cover the cost of damage to another person's vehicle, and many people like to take out fully comprehensive cover to insure ourselves further.

However, it is currently the case that some standard 'fully comprehensive' policies do not cover loss such as use of a hire car for a period of time until a claim with the other party's insurers is settled. What might be included is the use of a 'courtesy car' from the company repairing your car, however, these are usually subject to availability and are not a reliable option if your vehicle needs extensive repairs and is likely to be off the road for a long period of time. To make sure you do not have to fork out for a hire car whilst you're waiting for repairs in an accident that isn't your fault, there are broadly two options available.

Option One - Civil Law Claim for Hire Costs Outside of Insurance

Many personal injury legal specialists also offer help for a range of uninsured losses, such as loss of earnings, medical costs and damage to personal items. They can also help with claiming back the cost of hiring a car whilst your car is being repaired. Usually, however, choosing this option will mean that you have to pay the hire costs yourself up front, and hope that your legal claim against the other party is successful - if not, you will have paid the bill yourself. In addition, there might also be legal fees associated with taking this route, although many solicitors specialising in this field are able to offer assistance on a 'no win, no fee' basis (if they believe your claim is strong enough to probably succeed).

Option Two - Hire Car Insurance Cover

The best car insurance companies will sometimes include this form of cover as a part of a fully comprehensive package. However, others will offer it as an 'add on' to your standard policy, or as a stand alone policy if your main car insurance is with another provider. Even with the best car insurance companies, this cover will often only be in cases where the car is a total write off, or where it is a 'stolen recovered' situation, and it will cover hire for a car for a set period of time (e.g. two weeks) whilst a claim is being settled.

Although it is only designed to cover short term periods, hire car insurance is a cost effective way to ensure extra peace of mind in the event of an accident, particularly if use of your car is important to your work or lifestyle. The best car insurance providers will usually also offer insurance for the hire car that is provided, under the same terms and conditions as your regular vehicle, meaning you won't need to arrange this separately.

Visit www.car-insuranceuk.com regularly for the latest and best car insurance news and links to the best car insurance providers. Please follow the links on this page to obtain your own personalised best car insurance quote and make your own comparison.

© April 2009