Fortunately,relatively few traffic accidents happen in the Netherlands. Yet cars incur annual damage every year. Not only on the road, but also while parking orentering a driveway. Always consider whether it is wise to file a damage claim.After all, damage claims always have consequences for your insurance.
When not to claim
Minor damage:
It is not wise to claim a damage if the damage is minor. In this case it is better to bear the costs yourself because a claim will increase your premium and you will pay more. Each year that you do not file a claim entitles you to one claim-free year. Throughclaim-free years the insurer rewards not claiming on the car insurance with a discount on the premium so you pay less for your car insurance.
Note; when you have 15 or moreclaim-free years and you file a claim, you always fall back to 10 claim-free years.
Third-party liability insurance(WA):
If you only have third-party insurance, it does not make sense to file a claim for your car because this insurance only covers damage to the other party.
When to claim
Large damages and injuries:
When your repair costs are very high, it makes sense to file a claim. A large portion of the cost will then be covered by your car insurance company. This is also true if you are involved in a major accident and suffer personal injury. In this case, it will cover the high costs of medical treatment.
Liability other party:
If the other party is at fault for the accident, it is wise to hold their insurer liable for recovery costs and medical expenses.
All-risk insurance:
If you have all-risk insurance you can claim damage to your own car in most cases, it does not matter who caused the damage.
In the Netherlands, it is mandatory to have car insurance. The Motor Insurance Liability Act (WAM) requires every car to have at least third-party liability insurance (WA insurance). This insurance covers the damage you cause to others with your car. But what happens if you drive without insurance? In this blog, we explain the consequences if you are caught.
When comparing the insurance costs of electric cars to those of gasoline cars, an interesting dynamic emerges. Generally, electric cars are more expensive to insure than their gasoline counterparts. This trend can be attributed to several factors inherent to electric vehicles.
