A driver, who was on the phone, hit my new car from behind seven months ago. Then, three weeks ago, I was struck on a roundabout by an Estonian lorry driver who had misunderstood the right of way.
I have been driving for 31 years, have a clean licence and maximum no claims. My renewal is due and the quote from One Call has risen from £476 last year to £1,882.
It says my current insurer will no longer cover me and this is the best price. On top of this I have had to pay the £400 excess. I’m being punished for mistakes by other drivers.
LN, London
This is an extraordinary increase. Blameless victims can expect an average premium hike of 23%, according to figures by price comparison site uSwitch – only marginally less than that for at-fault drivers.
One Call says that, as a broker, it has no control over prices. “We simply present the risk details to our insurer panel,” it says. “When the third-party insurer hasn’t fully accepted liability, the price will be higher than if the claim was closed non-fault. Some insurers will not offer a price when a claim is open.
“It is normal for that insurer to offer a rebate for the increase and the excess once the claim is closed non-fault, although this will depend on other factors.”
Sabrina Webb of uSwitch says “the industry needs to stop this unfair practice that does little more than penalise innocent motorists. Meanwhile, drivers can put themselves back in the front seat by shopping around”.
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