Disputed liability
The insurer says it was your fault. Make them prove it.
An insurer saying you were to blame is an opinion, not a decision. Nothing is settled until the evidence is looked at. Here is what to gather, what to send us, and what we do with it.
- No fault admitted
- Evidence first
- We ask what they rely on
How it works
Who has to prove what
In a civil claim the person making a claim has to show, on the balance of probabilities, that the other driver was at fault. If the other side blames you, they have to show that too. Nobody has to prove they were not at fault.
An allegation is not a finding
Insurers often start by blaming the other driver. It is a negotiating position. It changes when evidence arrives.
We ask them to set it out
We write and ask exactly what they rely on: statements, photos, footage. Vague blame does not survive that question well.
Split liability is possible
Sometimes fault is shared. If the evidence points that way we tell you plainly, before a car is delivered, so you can decide.
Right now
Four things not to do
- Do not accept fault in writing, on the phone or in an app
- Do not sign anything the other insurer sends without sending it to us first
- Do not repair the car before it has been inspected and photographed
- Do not delete messages or footage, even if they seem unhelpful
If the other driver's insurer calls you, do not agree or refuse anything on the spot. Tell us the same day. What they offer, and when, matters.
Evidence to gather
What wins these arguments
Most disputes turn on what was recorded in the first few days. Get as much of this as you can, then send it to us.
Photos of everything
Both cars, all four corners, damage close up, the road, signs, lights and skid marks. Time-stamped if your phone allows.
Dashcam footage
Yours, and ask any nearby driver or business for theirs. Save the clip today. Most cameras overwrite within days.
Witness names and numbers
Anyone who saw it. A short written note of what they saw, sent by text or email, is enough to start.
Where and when
Road name, direction of travel, lane, time, weather. A sketch on paper or a screenshot of the map with marks on it.
What was said
Write down what the other driver said at the scene, word for word if you can, while it is fresh.
CCTV and police
Council cameras, shop cameras, bus cameras. Police reference if they attended. We help you request these.
What to send us
One message, everything in it
- Your account of what happened, in your own words, once
- Every photo and video, at full size, not screenshots
- Anything the other driver or their insurer has sent you
- Witness details and the police reference if there is one
- Your insurance certificate and the car's V5C
What we do with it
Build the file, then push
- Map the damage on both cars against each account of the collision
- Request CCTV, bus and council footage before it is deleted
- Write to the other insurer and ask what they rely on
- Log every letter and reply in your portal
- Tell you honestly, at each stage, how strong the evidence looks
We cannot promise the result. We can promise you will see the evidence and every reply, and that nothing is agreed without you.
Was anyone hurt? We do not advise on injury. A specialist solicitor does. Read how injury is handled.
Insurer vs us
Claim on your own policy, or claim from theirs? It's not close.
After a non-fault accident you have two routes. One costs you your excess and puts a claim on your record. The other doesn't.
Route A
Through your own insurer
Your excess
You pay it first — usually £250 to £1,000 — and try to get it back later.
Your no-claims bonus
A claim goes on your own policy. Your bonus can be affected until fault is settled.
Claim on your policy
Yes — a claim is opened against you and stays on your record.
Replacement car
Whatever your policy allows — often a small hatchback, sometimes nothing.
If you drive for Uber, Bolt or FREENOW
Standard courtesy cars aren't PCO-licensed. You can't work.
Who chases the at-fault insurer
You do — on hold, between jobs, for weeks.
Route B
Not on your recordWith Courtesy Cars UK
Your excess
Nothing to pay. We claim from the at-fault driver's insurer, not you.
Your no-claims bonus
No claim on your policy, so your no-claims bonus isn't touched.
Claim on your policy
No. It's not on your record — the at-fault insurer carries it.
Replacement car
Like-for-like. TfL-plated if you drive PCO, so it matches what you lost.
If you drive for Uber, Bolt or FREENOW
TfL-licensed replacement so you keep earning while your car is fixed.
Who chases the at-fault insurer
We do. Every call and letter is logged in your portal.
Start here
Tell us what happened, once
90 seconds on your phone. We read it, call you back, and tell you straight what the evidence looks like.