Brilliant insurance company [car]

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Linda
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A week ago last Tuesday, we were on the M50 heading to Worcester. A couple of miles up the road, we were passing a lorry doing around 50 and level with the wheels just behind the cab, when it suddenly veered into our lane, forcing us into the central reservation. Fortunately, my gut reaction to stamp my foot down on the accelerator, lock my arms and wrestle with the steering wheel was the right one and we are still here. The car was too damaged body wise to repair. The driver stopped to make sure we were alright, gave us all his details. His boss rang me the next day and checked we were ok, apologised and promised to expedite the claim. They admitted liability. Our insurance company were brilliant: NFU. We were able to call in to their offices in Ross on Wye and they gave us tea and helped us start the claim off. The claim handlers were very helpful too; they advised how to proceed and were very helpful, answering my queries as this went along. When the total loss was declared after the first offer from the adjusters came in: £900 was added to my claim as a result. I have just given them the details of my replacement car [5 years younger] that we will collect on Friday: only a £16 increase in premium. We had a courtesy car during the assessment. We have a rental car now [and could have for two weeks]. During the first two years, I get free gap insurance. So, worth every penny.
 
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A week ago last Tuesday, we were on the M50 heading to Worcester. A couple of miles up the road, we were passing a lorry doing around 50 and level with the wheels just behind the cab, when it suddenly veered into our lane, forcing us into the central reservation. Fortunately, my gut reaction to stamp my foot down on the accelerator, lock my arms and wrestle with the steering wheel was the right one and we are still here. The car was too damaged body wise to repair. The driver stopped to make sure we were alright, gave us all his details. His boss rang me the next day and checked we were ok, apologised and promised to expedite the claim. They admitted liability. Our insurance company were brilliant: NFU. We were able to call in to their offices in Ross on Wye and they gave us tea and helped us start the claim off. The claim handlers were very helpful too; they advised how to proceed and were very helpful, answering my queries as this went along. When the total loss was declared after the first offer from the adjusters came in: £900 was added to my claim as a result. I have just given them the details of my replacement car [5 years younger] that we will collect on Friday: only a £16 increase in premium. We had a courtesy car during the assessment. We have a rental car now [and could have for two weeks]. During the first two years, I get free gap insurance. So, worth every penny.

Great news. These days of price comparisons its easy to go for the cheapest but i never do. When I have made a claim in the past, Direct Line were equally as good while another provider far less so. You get what you pay for and worth paying a few quid extra a year just in case!
 
Now get ready for the ambulance chasers calling you every week for the next five years
 
Nearly time for her car insurance renewal, I’ll get a quote from them, Ta.
 
Now get ready for the ambulance chasers calling you every week for the next five years

I will keep that in mind. Currently, I get about 1 call a month telling me they had reason to believe I had been involved in an accident. I guess that one day they were going to be right. The pre-recording usually gives up after I don't ask two questions then I block them from my phone.
 
Nearly time for her car insurance renewal, I’ll get a quote from them, Ta.
It won't be the cheapest but they also top the poll of "how good is your insurance company when something happens" that I found on-line.
 
No excuse, but...

“level with the wheels just behind the cab”
Don’t ever stay there, he can’t see you. If you are overtaking.. overtake.. don’t sit there plodding along. (I’m not saying you were, just general advise).
 
A week ago last Tuesday, we were on the M50 heading to Worcester. A couple of miles up the road, we were passing a lorry doing around 50 and level with the wheels just behind the cab, when it suddenly veered into our lane, forcing us into the central reservation. Fortunately, my gut reaction to stamp my foot down on the accelerator, lock my arms and wrestle with the steering wheel was the right one and we are still here. The car was too damaged body wise to repair. The driver stopped to make sure we were alright, gave us all his details. His boss rang me the next day and checked we were ok, apologised and promised to expedite the claim. They admitted liability. Our insurance company were brilliant: NFU. We were able to call in to their offices in Ross on Wye and they gave us tea and helped us start the claim off. The claim handlers were very helpful too; they advised how to proceed and were very helpful, answering my queries as this went along. When the total loss was declared after the first offer from the adjusters came in: £900 was added to my claim as a result. I have just given them the details of my replacement car [5 years younger] that we will collect on Friday: only a £16 increase in premium. We had a courtesy car during the assessment. We have a rental car now [and could have for two weeks]. During the first two years, I get free gap insurance. So, worth every penny.

It's nice to hear somebody speak well of an insurance company and I'm glad you're OK. A hire car during total loss process is way more generous than some other insurers.

Out of interest, it sounds like you didn't make contact with the lorry - have they classed this as fault or non-fault?
 
I always used to insure with them ,but unfortunately the office I dealt with closed down and I didn't get good service from the one that took over .. I used direct line back in the early 2000's and found them good when a van driver on a mobile phone rear ended us
 
My cars are insured with NFU and Direct Line (guess who's got the Defender). Fortunately I've never had to test either's claim service. The NFU policy (just renewed it so I've read it recently) specifies that while your vehicle is being repaired/replaced a 'small hire car will be provided'. Tells you all you need to know about their usual clientele. It's just about impossible to get a quote for a lwb Defender online. Because NFU is a mutual society you get discounts for years with them and the number of policies you hold with them. DL give me a discount for being named driver on another vehicle insured with them. All very useful.
 
It's nice to hear somebody speak well of an insurance company and I'm glad you're OK. A hire car during total loss process is way more generous than some other insurers.

Out of interest, it sounds like you didn't make contact with the lorry - have they classed this as fault or non-fault?

We were forced into the central reservation - written off because of the damage to the car - ripped off the passenger door handle. Only 3 panels on the car were not damage - the boot, the bonnet and the roof. It was probably not more than 10 - 15 seconds as the truck pressed increasingly against the car. Had I not put my foot down, we would have been dead. It was a non-fault for me. Quite a horrendous experience.
 
We were forced into the central reservation - written off because of the damage to the car - ripped off the passenger door handle. Only 3 panels on the car were not damage - the boot, the bonnet and the roof. It was probably not more than 10 - 15 seconds as the truck pressed increasingly against the car. Had I not put my foot down, we would have been dead. It was a non-fault for me. Quite a horrendous experience.

Glad you came through relatively un-damaged.
 
Just to add to your praise of this company, just got me renewal for the coming year and it's gone down in price
by £40 (y)
Probably not the cheapest company but I believe you get what you pay for and I've heard loads of good reports
and all my dealing with them have been friendly and easy to do
 
Well, the NFU does have a very good reputation for settling claims (including one that someone made that I happen to know was fraudulent) but I see nothing remarkable in your experience, because not only was the other driver honest enough to say that it was his fault, it seems that he also drifted into the overtaking lane that lorries aren't allowed into, so there was no possible doubt about your claim and they will have recovered their costs from the other insurers.

In other words, in those circumstances any other insurer would have treated you in the same way. I had a similar experience myself some years ago, because although the other driver flatly denied that he had hit my parked car with his lorry my CCTV showed otherwise and they repaired my car instantly and provided me with an exact replacement Mercedes whilst it was away.
 
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