The trickiest question during the switching weeks: what happens if a claim comes in right then? The reassuring answer: if the switch was scheduled without a gap, there's always a responsible insurer – whichever one had cover in force on the day of the claim. The tricky part starts if the order slipped.
- A claim is always handled by the insurer whose cover was in force on the day of the claim – submitting a cancellation on its own does not end the old cover.
- A claim before the renewal date is the old insurer's matter, one after the renewal date is the new insurer's – with a mostly gap-free switch, there's no grey zone.
- An at-fault claim caused during switching follows your bonus-malus class under the rules – it can still show up on the new policy.
The main rule: the date of cover decides
MTPL cover is not tied to the moments of paperwork, but to the period of cover itself. If the claim happened before the renewal date, the old policy is in force and the old insurer handles it – even if the cancellation has already been submitted and is waiting for the renewal date. If the claim happened after the renewal date, the new policy covers it. So with a mostly gap-free switch there's no uncertainty – which is exactly why a precise switching order is worth so much.
As the injured party, during the switching weeks
If you are the not-at-fault injured party, your own switch has no bearing on your claim: you pursue the claim with the at-fault driver's insurer, following the schedule for injured parties. One word of caution belongs here: in your own paperwork, don't let the claim documents and the switching documents get mixed up – the claim belongs to whichever policy was in force on the day of the claim, and it's worth filing your letters accordingly.
As the at-fault driver: your bonus and the new policy
An at-fault claim goes into the central claims history register, and under the rules in force it worsens your bonus-malus class at the next renewal date – even if you switched insurer in the meantime, since the new insurer sees the claim from the register. If the new policy already started with a more favourable class, the class can be adjusted under the rules once the claim becomes known. This isn't a mistake, it's just how the system works – it only becomes a surprise if nobody mentions it in advance. It's worth keeping an eye on the class change via the insurer's notice.
If a gap did open up
The worst-case scenario: the old policy has ended, the new one hasn't started yet, and a claim happens in the gap. In that case, the Compensation Account can step in for the injured party, but the payout can be recovered from the uninsured registered keeper, and an uncovered-period fee is also due for the gap. If you find yourself in this situation, panic won't help – swift action will: take out a new policy immediately, clarify the uncovered-period fee – and if the matter is disputed, get help from the broker.
A quick decision table for a claim during the switching weeks
If a claim happens during the switching weeks, three questions decide what to do. When did the claim happen? – before the renewal date: the old insurer's matter; after it: the new insurer's. Are you the injured party or the at-fault driver? – as the injured party, the claim goes to the at-fault driver's insurer (or under casco cover), regardless of your own switch; as the at-fault driver, you report it to whichever insurer's policy was in force on the day of the claim. Does the switching schedule need to change? – typically not: the cancellation and the new policy proceed on their own track, and the claim on its own. Only one case needs extra care: if the claim puts the vehicle's fate in question (suspected total loss) – in that case, speak up before signing anything, since it may be worth timing the start of the new policy to the outcome.
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