Non-Fault Accident Repairs at R&P Accident Repair in Lingfield

If the accident was not your fault, the repair does not have to go wherever your insurer sends it. Where the claim is pursued against the other driver’s insurer, you are entitled to have your vehicle repaired by a garage of your own choosing. Most drivers are never told this. The decision is yours to make, and it is worth making before you agree to anything.

What counts as a non-fault accident

A non-fault accident is one where someone else is responsible for the damage to your vehicle. The clearest example is being hit from behind, but it also covers being struck while parked, a driver pulling out of a junction into your path, a lane change into the side of your car, or damage caused by an uninsured or untraced driver.

You do not have to have been stationary, and you do not need the other driver to have admitted anything at the scene. What matters is who was at fault, and that is established as the claim progresses. If you are not sure where you stand, tell us what happened and we will tell you honestly whether it looks like a non-fault claim.

What to do straight after the accident

The first hour matters more than most people realise. If everyone is safe and the vehicles are out of danger:

1. Take photographs of both vehicles, the damage, the road layout and the position of the cars before anything is moved.
2. Get the other driver’s name, address, registration and insurer. You are entitled to ask for these.
3. Take the name and number of any independent witness. Witnesses disappear quickly and are almost impossible to find later.
4. Note the time, the weather and the road conditions.
5. If the police attend, ask for the incident reference number.

Then speak to us before you commit the repair to anyone.

Talk to us before you accept your insurer’s repairer

Once a claim is logged, insurers move quickly to place the work with a repairer on their own network. That is convenient for them. It is not always the right outcome for you or your vehicle. Speaking to us first costs you nothing and keeps your options open, and it takes a couple of minutes.

You can read more about where that entitlement comes from and how it works in practice on our Your Right to Choose page.

We manage the process, not just the repair

Tell us what happened and we take it from there. We record the details of the accident, deal with the claim process on your behalf and keep you updated at each stage, so you are not chasing anyone or repeating your story to a different person every time you call. You get one point of contact and a straight answer whenever you want to know where things stand.

Our How it Works page sets out each stage, from your first call through to the day you collect the vehicle.

Keeping you on the road

An accident that was not your fault should not leave you without a vehicle. Where you are entitled to one, we will arrange a like-for-like replacement vehicle for the period your own car is off the road, matched as closely as we can to what you normally drive. If you rely on your vehicle for work, for the school run or for carrying equipment, tell us when you first make contact, and we will make it a priority.

The repair itself

Your vehicle is repaired here in Lingfield by our own technicians, not subcontracted out to whoever has space that week. We work to manufacturer repair methods using approved paint systems, and we colour match to your vehicle’s original finish rather than to the nearest shade.

Structural work, panel work, paint and refinishing are all carried out on site, which means we control the quality and the timescale rather than waiting on somebody else’s schedule. Before your vehicle goes back to you, it is inspected, cleaned and checked over, and we will walk you round it so you can see the work for yourself. Our repairs and paintwork are guaranteed for as long as you own the vehicle, and parts are covered by the manufacturer’s own parts warranty. Full terms are on our Our Guarantee page.

Fleets and business drivers

For a business, a non-fault accident is lost working time before it is anything else. We handle non-fault work for fleets of every size, with collection and delivery, an agreed turnaround and one contact who knows your vehicles and does not need the background explained each time. If you run vehicles rather than drive one, our Non-Fault Accident Repairs for Fleet page sets out how we work with operators.

Starting your claim

You do not need your claim number, your policy documents or anything else to hand. All we need to begin is your registration and a postcode.

Our online claim form and our WhatsApp line are open 24 hours a day, so you can start the process the moment it suits you, including evenings and weekends. Enquiries received during opening hours get a call back within two working hours. Anything that comes in overnight or at the weekend is answered by 9am on the next working day.

If you would rather speak to someone now, call us on 01342 832511.

Start your Claim »