If you have comprehensive car insurance on your vehicle, you’re probably aware that any claim you make will involve you having to pay an insurance excess as part of your policy. You would have been notified of this when you first took out the insurance, as well as the amount of excess required from you.

What Is An Insurance Excess?

Put simply, an insurance excess is the amount you’ll have to pay out of your own pocket when you make a claim for a car insurance repair from a reputable panel beater. The excess will be used to pay for part of the repair, while your insurance company will contribute the remainder of the repair costs.

When Do You Need To Pay It?

In most cases, you’ll have to pay the excess whenever you make a claim, but there may be other situations where the excess will not be required.

The instances when your insurance company will ask you to pay the excess when you make a claim include the following:

• At-Fault Accidents
• Vehicle Theft
• Malicious Damage
• Natural Disasters
• Undetermined At-Fault Accidents
• No Third Party Details Provided
• Your Own Damage Claims, such as Windscreen Repair

Under the following circumstances, your insurance company may not require you to pay the excess.

Not At Fault Accidents

If the accident was not your fault and you’ve provided all the necessary details of the other party, you won’t be required to pay the excess.

Why Does It Matter?

There are two reasons that your insurance company imposes an excess. It reduces the amount they have to contribute to the repairs, and a substantial excess will usually stop you from making minor claims, especially if these are less than or equal to the excess you’re required to pay.

What Happens At A Panel Beater?

Your panel beater will assess the damage and, in most cases, will liaise with your insurance company on your behalf to ensure the quote is accepted. The panel beater then carries out the repairs and is paid by the insurance company after you’ve paid the excess.

Need Advice?

At Bridgeroad Body Works, your local panel beater Melbourne, we have years of experience in dealing with insurance companies and are happy to liaise with your insurer on your behalf. This alleviates some of your stress and ensures that your car is repaired promptly, so you can get back on the road.