Commercial motor collision? Why it’s important to let us know straight away

If your client or their employees are involved in a motor incident, it’s important that we're contacted straight away – even if it wasn’t their fault or the damage was minimal. A delay can have significant knock-on effects, many of which aren't always understood.

Ultimately the sooner we’re notified of an incident, the sooner we can help. Crucially that means capturing and notifying us of the other driver’s full name, telephone and registration number.

For example, say a minor collision occurred between a commercial driver and another vehicle – if there was limited/no damage or injuries, they might look to get back on with their day. But if the other non-fault driver reports it, they could be put in contact with a credit hire organisation – we then lose the chance to get in touch and help. This could lead to delays and additional costs that might affect your client’s motor insurance in the future.

Swift reporting allows us to offer support to your client and the other driver from the start, whatever the severity of the incident, as effectively as possible. It also allows evidence such as CCTV or in-vehicle camera footage to be captured, reducing the opportunity for fraud, as we build a clearer picture of what happened. 

What’s new?

To help demonstrate this to your commercial clients and their drivers, we’ve developed two new videos. Please take a look and share with clients who may benefit from it. 

First Notification of Loss (FNOL) -  Business Owners video

First Notification of Loss (FNOL) - Drivers video

Further Support

• Posters - We’ve developed posters that can be downloaded and displayed in depots – speak to your Client Service Manager, Motor Risk Consultant or visit Broker Create to access these directly.
• Social media assets – if you want to spread the word on your broker social accounts we’ve made this easy – on Broker Create you’ll find ready-developed graphics to share and make your own. Just visit Broker Mentor today.

How can you help?

You play a vital role in supporting us and communicating this message to your clients. Here are some further steps you can take to help:

• Encourage your clients to report all motor incidents to us as soon as possible, however minor they may seem, even if they aren't at fault.
• Stress the importance of providing details of the other driver’s full name, telephone number, vehicle registration and a summary of what happened. These details are important to help us fully manage the claim.
• Allow us to speak with your client's drivers where possible - speaking with the driver directly makes it easier for us to determine liability and arrange any assistance they or the other driver may require.
• Highlight the benefits of full information gathering – any additional material such as photos, CCTV, in-vehicle camera footage or any witness details could help if a fraudulent claim is made against your client or if a claim is disputed.

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