Driving instructor and driving school claims
Without a dual control car you cannot teach, and every day off the road is a diary of cancelled pupils. We supply dual control replacements and pursue the at-fault insurer for what the downtime cost you.
A driving instructor without a car is not inconvenienced, they are out of work. A standard courtesy car is no use, because you cannot teach in a vehicle without dual controls.
On a non-fault claim you are entitled to a like-for-like replacement, which for an ADI means a dual control car, and to claim for the earnings the accident cost you.
Why a normal courtesy car is worthless to you
This is the part that gets missed by insurers who do not deal with instructors.
A car without dual controls cannot be used to teach. It is not a preference, it is the job. Hand an ADI a standard hatchback and you have given them something to drive to the shops in while their business stands still.
The legal position is that a replacement should be like for like, matching what you actually lost. What you lost was a working vehicle with dual controls, instructor mirrors and usually a roof sign. That is what the replacement has to be.
It costs more to supply, which is precisely why it is often not offered unless somebody asks for it.
What we arrange
Enough to keep the diary running rather than cancelling it.
Dual control replacement
A car fitted with dual controls so you can carry on teaching rather than sitting at home.
Manual or automatic
Matched to what you teach in. An automatic instructor cannot work in a manual, and the pupils cannot either.
A comparable model
Pupils learn in a specific car. Putting them in something much larger the week before a test helps nobody.
Recovery and storage
Your car moved from the scene and held securely while the claim is sorted out, at no cost to you.
Repair management
Repairs handled and chased by us, including making sure the dual controls are correctly refitted and checked.
The claim itself
We pursue the at-fault insurer for the hire, the storage, the vehicle and the losses the downtime caused.
Pupils booked and no car?
Call us today. A dual control replacement can usually be arranged quickly, with nothing for you to pay.
What the downtime actually costs an instructor
These are the losses worth documenting, because they are recoverable and they add up fast.
Cancelled lessons
A full week of lessons is a substantial sum. Your diary is the evidence, so export or screenshot it before you start rebooking.
Pupils who go elsewhere
Someone with a test in three weeks cannot wait. Losing them costs the remaining lessons and the test day fee.
Franchise fees
If you are with a franchise, the weekly fee often carries on whether you are teaching or not.
Finance and fixed costs
Payments on a car you cannot use, plus insurance and tax, do not stop while it sits in a compound.
The car itself
Instructor cars carry high mileage, and insurers value them accordingly. A low first offer is common, and often wrong.
Reputation
Instructors live on recommendation. Cancelling on a pupil the week before their test does lasting damage.
What to do first
The first two days decide how much of this you recover.
Save your diary before you change it
Screenshot or export the booked lessons for the next few weeks exactly as they stood. Once you start rebooking, the evidence of what you lost is gone.
Call us before you cancel anyone
If a dual control car can be with you quickly, most of the diary survives. That is a better outcome than claiming for it afterwards.
Photograph the car and the controls
Including the dual controls, instructor mirrors and any roof sign or livery, so the specification is recorded and cannot be argued about later.
Keep every message
Texts and messages cancelling and rearranging pupils are direct evidence of lost work. Do not delete them.
Note your franchise position
If fees continued while you were off the road, get that in writing from the franchise.
If the pupil was driving
It changes nothing about your entitlement where another driver caused the accident. Someone pulling out of a side road into a learner is at fault whoever was behind the wheel.
Where fault is disputed, expect the other side to lean heavily on the fact that a learner was driving. That is why the detail matters: dual controls fitted and working, L plates displayed, you supervising as a qualified ADI. A properly conducted lesson is a strong position, and it is worth setting that out clearly at the start rather than defending it later.
The pupil may also have their own claim, for example for a lost test fee. Our page on learner driver accidents covers that side.
Do not accept the first valuation on an instructor car without checking it. High mileage is used to justify low offers, but a well maintained dual control car with a full service history and instructor specification is not the same as an ordinary example of the same model. See our guide on pre-accident value.
What you would normally be charged - and what you pay us
A dual control car costs more per day to supply than a standard hire car, which is exactly why instructors are so often offered something they cannot work in.
| Charge | Typical provider | PTH Claims |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery from the scene | £150 - £350 | FREE |
| Secure storage, per day | £15 - £40 | FREE |
| Replacement vehicle, per day | £40 - £150 | FREE |
| Total cost to you | Often four figures | £0 |
Terms and conditions apply. Typical provider figures are industry ranges and vary by provider, location and circumstances. All claims are subject to identity, fraud and anti-money laundering checks.
With PTH Claims that figure is zero. We carry the cost and recover it from the at-fault driver’s insurer. It never reaches you, and it never depends on how your claim ends.
Why people use us
Nothing to pay
No cost to you, whatever the outcome of your claim.
No claim on your policy
Run against the other driver’s insurer, so no excess and no effect on your no-claims.
One point of contact
We deal with the insurers, the engineer and the compound. You deal with us.
Nationwide, 24/7
Recovery and replacement vehicles arranged anywhere in the UK, day or night.
Common questions
Yes. A like-for-like replacement means a vehicle comparable to the one you lost, and for a driving instructor that means dual controls. Without them the replacement does not do the job it is meant to.
It depends on the specification and where you are, but the aim is to get you teaching again before you have to start cancelling pupils. Call as early as you can, because the diary is easier to protect than to reclaim.
Loss of earnings can form part of a non-fault claim where it is evidenced. Your booked diary, cancellation messages and previous weeks’ earnings are the evidence, so save all of it before you start rebooking.
Ongoing fixed costs you had to pay while off the road can form part of the claim. Get written confirmation from the franchise of what you were charged and for which weeks.
Not where another driver caused the accident. Expect it to be raised, which is why it helps to record clearly that the car had working dual controls, L plates were displayed and you were supervising as a qualified ADI.
First offers on instructor cars are commonly too low. Mileage is a factor, but so are condition, service history and the dual control specification. Do not accept the first figure without checking comparable vehicles.
Handled against the at-fault driver’s insurer, there is no excess for you to pay and no claim on your own policy, so your no-claims discount is not affected.
Yes. The same applies across a fleet, and we can handle multiple vehicles. Call us and we will go through how it works for your setup.
Terms and conditions apply to all services described on this page. Free recovery, storage and replacement vehicles are provided on the basis that the charges are recovered from the at-fault party’s insurer. We will explain the terms in plain English before anything is arranged.
Before we act for you we are required to verify your identity and to carry out fraud and anti-money laundering checks. This may include checks with credit reference and fraud prevention agencies, which will leave a record on your file.
Where fraud is suspected, information may be shared with fraud prevention agencies, insurers and law enforcement. Providing false or misleading information in support of a claim may mean your claim is refused, and can be a criminal offence.