Do I Have to Pay My Excess After a Non-Fault Accident?
If someone else caused the accident, you should not be left out of pocket for their mistake. Here is how the excess actually works and how to get it back.
If you claim on your own policy you will usually have to pay the excess up front - but on a genuine non-fault claim it is recoverable from the at-fault driver’s insurer.
Better still: handled as a non-fault claim against the other side from the outset, there is often no excess to pay at all, because you are not claiming on your own policy.
Two routes, two very different experiences
After a non-fault accident you have a choice, and it is worth understanding before you pick.
Claim on your own policy. Your insurer repairs the car, you pay the excess now, your no-claims may be affected until they recover their costs, and you wait to get the excess back.
Claim against the at-fault driver. Nothing goes through your policy. No excess, no effect on your no-claims, and the whole loss - repairs, hire, storage - is pursued against the person responsible.
What each route costs you
The difference is not just the excess. It is what happens to your policy afterwards:
| Your position | Typical provider | PTH Claims |
|---|---|---|
| Excess to pay up front | £250 - £1,000 | FREE |
| Effect on no-claims discount | Possible until recovered | FREE |
| Replacement vehicle | Small courtesy car, if any | FREE |
| Recovery and storage | Often charged | FREE |
| Cost to you | Hundreds up front | £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 there is nothing to pay at any stage. The claim runs against the at-fault driver’s insurer, so your own policy is left alone. Terms and conditions apply, and all claims are subject to identity, fraud and anti-money laundering checks.
Not claimed yet?
Speak to us before you contact your own insurer. It is far easier to take the right route from the start than to unpick it afterwards.
If you have already paid it
It is recoverable. Keep the paperwork showing the amount and the date it was taken, and it becomes a line in your claim against the at-fault insurer.
The one thing to watch is that it is genuinely pursued. An excess left out of a settlement is money simply given away, and it is one of the most common things to be forgotten.
Common questions
On a genuine non-fault claim where liability is established, yes - it forms part of what is recovered. If liability is split, you recover that proportion.
It is usually settled with the rest of your claim, so it depends on how quickly liability is agreed. Weeks where liability is admitted; longer where it is disputed.
Often, yes - by claiming against the at-fault driver rather than on your own policy. That is precisely what we arrange.
It should not, if it is handled against the other driver and your own insurer pays nothing. Claiming on your own policy can affect it until they recover their outlay.
Tell us what happened. Liability is often clearer than people assume, and we will give you an honest view before you commit either way.
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.