If you are involved in a motor accident that wasn't your fault, why should you be inconvenienced? Helphire's services, which are administered by Albany Assistance, are based on the legal premise that the party not-at-fault in an accident is entitled to be put back in the position they were in prior to the event. Our services aim to keep you mobile by:
- Providing like for like replacement transport whilst your vehicle is off the road
- Arranging and funding your vehicle repairs
- Helping you to claim compensation for injury or losses you may have suffered*
*Through a solicitor, that is regulated by the SRA for reserved legal activities such as the pursuit of an injury claim and uninsured losses.
Call us on 0845 337 2808 Option 1 if you've been involved in a non-fault accident.
Or, find out more about how we can help using the FAQ's below:
Who can use the Helphire (Albany Assistance) service?
If you are involved in an accident that is not your fault why should you be inconvenienced? We can take care of your case for you and:
- Provide you with replacement transport
- Organise and fund your repairs
- Help you claim compensation for injury or losses*
*Through a solicitor that is regulated by the SRA for reserved legal activities such as the pursuit of an injury claim and uninsured losses.
Opening times: Claims line open 24 hours. Call 0845 3372808 (and press Option 1).
Normal office hours (for all other enquiries) Monday to Friday 8.00am to 6.00pm
How can Helphire (Albany Assistance) help me?
Usually with one phone call, we can make a decision about whether we can help you. If we can, we'll take care of the arrangements and hassle you would face after having been involved in an accident - from liaising with your insurance company, to providing you with replacement transport, organising your repairs and through a solicitor that is regulated by the SRA for reserved legal activities such as the pursuit of an injury claim and uninsured losses, helping you claim compensation for any injury or losses you may have suffered.
What if my car is written-off?
We can help you if your car is written-off. We aim to keep you in the replacement vehicle until you receive a cheque from your insurance company. We can also help you claim compensation for any injury or losses.
Who pays for the service?
You are legally entitled to the services Helphire provides after a non-fault accident, regardless of your vehicle insurance. The bill for any replacement vehicle we provide, or the repairs we organise and fund, are sent to the insurance company of the driver who caused the accident. We will provide you with a credit protection policy that protects you if the vehicle hire costs are not recovered from the insurer of the party at fault. The cover is subject to terms and conditions.
What about my insurance company?
We will notify your insurance company on your behalf, or ask you to notify them once we have agreed we can help you. They will need to know for information only. The claim is actually against the insurance company of the driver who caused the accident - not yours!
What will happen to my car?
If your vehicle is driveable after the accident, we will organise a suitable repairer and repair date with you. You will then be asked to take your vehicle to the agreed garage, where a replacement vehicle will be waiting for you.
When your repairs are complete, you will simply need to drive our hire car to the garage and leave it there for collection while you drive your own car away. If your vehicle is un-drivable after the accident we can arrange for a replacement vehicle to be delivered to your home, work or other suitable address. We will then organise for your un-drivable vehicle to be taken to a repairer.
What replacement transport will I get?
Wherever possible, you will be given replacement transport of a similar standard to your own, e.g. people carrier, estate car, prestige car etc.
You'll need to show you have a 'need' for a similar standard vehicle, e.g. you may need a people carrier to transport children to and from school, or a prestige car because of your status at work etc.
What if I am injured?
If you suffered injury as a result of an accident you are legally entitled to claim compensation. You may have suffered whiplash, or an even more serious injury. A carefully selected solicitor that is regulated by the SRA for reserved legal activities such as the pursuit of an injury claim and uninsured losses will help ensure you receive the compensation you are due. If you have had an accident any time in the last three years you can make a claim, call us now.
Call us on 0845 3372808, Monday to Friday 8.00am to 6.00pm
(Claims will be managed Albany Assistance Limited. Albany Assistance Limited is regulated by the Ministry of Justice in respect of regulated claims management activities; its registration is recorded on the website www.claimsregulation.gov.uk (registration number CMR 2170).
What if my passengers are injured?
We can arrange for your passengers to claim compensation they may be due for injury as well. We will either take details over the phone when you call us, or you could ask them to call us direct on 0845 3372808.
(Claims will be managed through Albany Assistance Limited, a subsidiary of Helphire Group plc.)
How do Helphire cover their costs?
Effectively, Helphire is a hire car company, so we earn our money by hiring cars and other vehicles from our fleet. The difference is, we hire the car to you but pass the bill to the insurance company of the driver to blame, at hire rates agreed with the UK's leading insurance companies.
How do you know if the accident wasn't your fault?
There are several accident scenarios that will never be seen as your fault:
- You are stationary at lights or a roundabout and another driver runs into you from behind
- You are driving along a main road and somebody pulls out of a side turning into your car
- You are parked and somebody runs into you.
Often, drivers know when they were not to blame for an accident. If in doubt, call us and we will see if we can help.
What do insurance companies think of Helphire?
We provide our services to many of the UK's largest insurance companies, assisting their customers after they have had a motoring accident. We also operate within a framework of hire rates and charges agreed with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to which most major insurers subscribe.
The insurance industry accepts that you are entitled not to be inconvenienced when you have been involved in an accident that was not your fault.
How many people do you help?
Since 1992 we have helped hundreds of thousands of people involved in non - fault accidents. As more and more people hear about our service, the numbers continue to grow.
How long have you been in business?
We launched our service in 1992 and became a plc (Public Limited Company) quoted on the London Stock Exchange in 1997.
What if you take my case on, then decide I was partly to blame?
As long as you have told us the truth and continue to co-operate with us we will provide support and service for your case.
Am I liable for the hire charges?
We will provide you with a credit protection policy that protects you if the vehicle hire costs are not recovered from the insurer of the party at fault. The cover is subject to terms and conditions, including: you must provide an honest account of the accident circumstances, and; a requirement for you to co-operate with us in the recovery of the vehicle hire charges from the party responsible or their insurers.
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