The Ultimate NZ Car Insurance Claims Flowchart: Your 2026 Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

After a crash, the best next step is usually not to decide who was at fault at the roadside. Make people safe, meet your legal duties, preserve useful information and notify your insurer as soon as you can. This 2026 New Zealand guide sets out a practical decision path for private-car claims.

In our editorial review, we recommend keeping this sequence in your phone: safe scene → injury/emergency decision → exchange details → record evidence → notify insurer → prevent further loss → follow the assessment and settlement process. Your policy wording, cover type and the facts of the crash determine the eventual outcome.

If you are reviewing cover before an incident, our car insurance comparison information can help you identify questions to ask, but it is not a substitute for the policy wording or insurer advice.

Car insurance claim flowchart: what to do first

1. At the scene: safety, legal duties and communication

Stop, check and make the scene safer where you can

NZTA says a driver involved in a crash must stop, check for injuries and help. Where it is safe to do so and consistent with emergency-service directions, take sensible steps to reduce danger. Hazard lights may be appropriate. Do not create another risk by moving vehicles where there is injury, fire, fuel leakage or another immediate hazard.

Use 111 when immediate emergency assistance is required. For non-emergency Police matters, 105 is a free nationwide service available 24/7 by phone and online. A non-injury traffic crash can also be reported through the Police reporting channel where appropriate.

Do not decide liability at the roadside

Be calm and cooperative, but avoid admissions or arguments about blame. The immediate task is to exchange required details and create an accurate record. Liability and cover can depend on evidence, the accounts given, applicable law and policy wording.

Exchange details and collect evidence safely

For a non-injury crash, NZTA requires drivers to provide their name, address and plate number to the owner or driver of damaged property as soon as possible, and no later than 48 hours. Consumer Protection NZ also recommends recording the other driver's name, address, telephone number, insurer, registration and driver-licence details, as available. Do not put yourself at risk or confront an uncooperative person to obtain information.

• Photograph the vehicle damage, number plates, road layout and relevant conditions if it is safe.
• Write down the date, time, location and a brief factual sequence while it is fresh.
• Ask willing witnesses for their contact details and note what they observed.
• Keep messages, towing information, receipts and any Police reference that exists.

2. Notify your insurer and protect the vehicle

Notify your insurer as soon as possible and follow the claim process in your policy. There is no safe universal statement that every claim automatically fails after a generic notification deadline: requirements can be policy- and claim-specific, and insurance law restricts certain time and manner provisions. Prompt, accurate notification nevertheless helps the insurer begin assessing what happened.

Have your policy number ready if available, together with photos, reports and relevant documents such as receipts. In our research, ICNZ's practical claims guidance emphasises having this supporting material available.

Give accurate information

Answer the insurer's questions truthfully and provide an accurate account of the claim. If a Warrant of Fitness, vehicle condition or another issue is relevant, disclose it rather than guessing about its effect. An expired WoF does not by itself establish a universal claims outcome; the policy wording, vehicle condition, facts and any exclusion matter.

Prevent further loss without compromising safety

When a car is damaged, immobile or insecure, do your best to prevent further loss while following the insurer's instructions and preserving evidence. For example, secure the vehicle if it can safely be secured, avoid using it if further damage may result, and retain receipts for reasonable steps you take. Do not authorise repairs or dispose of damaged property without checking the insurer's process.

3. Assessment, repair and settlement: the decisions to understand

Once a claim is lodged, the insurer may seek more information, arrange an inspection or assessment, and decide how the policy responds. The route can include repair, payment or another settlement approach, depending on the cover, damage, vehicle value, repair feasibility and policy terms. Do not assume a particular repair network, timing or total-loss outcome before receiving the insurer's decision.

Market value and agreed value are different

Consumer Protection NZ defines market value as what the vehicle was worth immediately before it was damaged. Agreed value is the value agreed with the insurer when cover is taken out and at renewal. Check which basis applies to your policy before a claim, and revisit it at renewal.

If you question a market-value offer, ask the insurer to explain the valuation basis. Provide relevant evidence about comparable vehicles and your vehicle's condition, specification and pre-crash value. Keep the discussion factual and in writing where possible.

Excess: check the conditions, not assumptions

An excess is the amount you may need to contribute to a claim under your policy. Whether it applies, is waived, refunded or reimbursed can depend on the cover and conditions, including information about the other party. Do not assume that being not at fault automatically removes the excess. Ask your insurer what applies to your claim and what evidence it needs.

4. Uninsured drivers and different cover types

The other driver's insurance status does not replace the need to document the crash and notify your own insurer. Consumer Protection NZ explains that comprehensive cover can cover accidents caused by you or another person and damage to your insured vehicle. Third-party cover focuses on your liability for damage to other vehicles or property.

If the other driver appears uninsured, record their details and the evidence you can safely obtain, then check your own policy. Some policies may include benefits or conditions relevant to an identified uninsured driver, but names, limits, evidence requirements and eligibility vary. Do not rely on a generic extension or assumed dollar limit.

5. If the claim is declined or you disagree

1. Ask for the reasons and relevant policy terms. Request the decision and supporting reasoning in writing, then compare it with your policy and the evidence you supplied.
2. Make a formal complaint to the insurer. Set out the outcome you seek, key dates, documents and why you disagree. Keep copies of emails and notes of calls.
3. Use the correct external dispute-resolution scheme. All New Zealand financial service providers must have a formal complaints process and belong to an approved scheme. IFSO is one possible scheme; FSCL and FDRS are others. Check which approved scheme your insurer belongs to and whether your complaint falls within its jurisdiction.
4. Raise fairness concerns through the right route. The FMA says consumer insurers must be licensed and operate fair conduct programmes. If you believe you have not been treated fairly, the practical starting point is the insurer's complaint process or its dispute-resolution scheme.

External dispute-resolution services are free to consumers, but process, jurisdiction, limits and the effect of an outcome depend on the particular scheme and complaint. A particular document, such as a deadlock letter, should not be assumed to be required in every case; follow the insurer's and scheme's stated process.

Questions to ask before you authorise the next step

• What cover applies to this event, and what exclusions or conditions are relevant?
• What is my excess, when is it payable and could any waiver, refund or reimbursement condition apply?
• Does my policy use market value or agreed value?
• What information, documents or photos does the insurer still need?
• Should the vehicle be towed, stored, secured or left untouched pending instructions?
• Before repairs begin, what approval does the insurer require?
• If I disagree, how do I make a formal complaint and which dispute-resolution scheme covers my insurer?

Practical Takeaway

Our team's concise checklist is: protect people first; use 111 for immediate danger; meet the Police reporting and detail-exchange duties that apply to the crash; record facts and photos safely; notify the insurer promptly; prevent further loss; and read the policy before agreeing to repairs or settlement.

This is general information, not personalised insurance, legal or financial advice. Claims are decided under the specific policy, the evidence and the circumstances. In our editorial review, checking the current wording and asking the insurer clear written questions is more reliable than relying on assumptions about excess, uninsured-driver cover, valuation or timing.

References

• NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi — Crashes: General Road Code
• New Zealand Police — Traffic crash report
• New Zealand Police — 105 information
• Consumer Protection NZ — Car insurance
• Insurance Council of New Zealand — Making a claim
• New Zealand Legislation — Contracts of Insurance Act 2024
• New Zealand Government — Complain about your financial services provider
• Financial Markets Authority — Insurance

Author / Editorial Team

This article was produced by Insurspy's internal editorial and research team. In our editorial review, we compare public insurance information, prioritise authoritative New Zealand government, regulator and industry sources, and revise practical guidance for clarity and accuracy. We do not determine claim outcomes; readers should check their current policy wording and contact their insurer for claim-specific guidance.