Car insurance is a necessity no driver wants to use—until the moment it becomes essential. Although only about 10% of policyholders make a claim each year, having a reliable insurer to support you during those times is vital.
When choosing car insurance, how well a provider manages claims should be a top consideration. To identify the market leaders and laggards, Which? surveyed nearly 3,500 UK car insurance customers about their claims experiences. The study uncovered not only which insurers excel at claims handling, but also which types of claims are most commonly settled.
Predictably, some familiar brands topped the list, while others surprisingly underperformed. Among the most common claims reported were accidental damage (44%), windscreen repairs (22%), and injury-related accidents (12%). Additionally, crime-related claims such as vandalism (11%) and theft (10%) were significant. Other less frequent claims included lost or damaged possessions (8%), fire damage (5%), legal expense coverage (5%), and medical expenses (3%).
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Claimants rated their insurers across key areas—including speed of processing, fairness of settlements, clarity of communication, and the overall coordination of services during the claim process. These ratings were combined into an overall Claims Score to rank each insurer’s performance.
At the top of the rankings, RAC and Aviva lead the pack with impressive Claims Scores of 83% and 80% respectively. Both companies especially stood out for their fast claims processing and clear, supportive communication throughout the claim journey.
On the other hand, 1st Central finished last, placing 14th with a score of just 54%. It received consistently low ratings across multiple service categories, marking it as the poorest performer in this survey.
The full ranking list provides deeper insight into how each insurer performs across specific metrics, reflecting their ability to handle claims efficiently and fairly.