Timing
How long does a claim take after a crash that wasn't your fault?
There is no fixed time. It depends on whether the other driver's insurer accepts fault, how long the repair takes, and how quickly the evidence is in. But insurers do have deadlines for each step, and we hold them to those deadlines for you.
The deadlines insurers have to meet
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission lists what an insurance company must do when handling a claim:
| Step | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Send you a claim form, if one is needed | Within 5 working days of being told about the claim |
| Tell you its decision | Within 5 working days of making the decision |
| Give you time to accept or reject an offer | 10 working days |
| Pay out | Within 10 working days of you accepting the offer |
These standards cover the other driver's insurer too. Under the Central Bank's Consumer Protection Code 2025, a driver claiming against someone else's policy is a claimant, and the insurer has to treat them as one.
Sources: Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, "Making a car insurance claim"; Central Bank of Ireland, Consumer Protection Code 2025.
What slows a claim down
- Fault in dispute. If the other driver says it wasn't them, the insurer looks at the evidence first.
- Missing evidence. No photos, no witness, no registration.
- No written figure for the damage. The insurer needs to know what it is being asked to pay.
- Nobody chasing. Someone has to follow up each step.
What speeds it up
Good photos from the scene, the other driver's details and insurer, any witness or dashcam footage, and an independent written figure for the damage. And appointing someone to deal with the insurer for you, in writing, so the chasing is not on you.
What we promise, and what we don't
We do not promise a timeframe, because part of it is in the other insurer's hands. We do promise to do the chasing, and to tell you what we know as it happens.
Want the chasing off your plate? Ring 0818 294 336, any hour, or WhatsApp 083 448 3732. Our service is for crashes where the other driver is identified, insured and at fault. Still tell your own insurer about the accident: telling them is not claiming from them.