"It won't affect your premium, you weren't at fault." People say it kindly, and it's *mostly* true. But insurers price risk their own way, and the honest picture has three layers: your no-claim bonus, your claims history, and the premium maths at renewal.
Layer 1: your no-claim bonus (usually safe)
Most Australian insurers preserve your no-claim bonus for a not-at-fault claim where the at-fault party is identified: name, rego, and usually an address or licence number. Fail that identification test (a hit-and-run with no rego, for instance) and many policies treat the claim as at-fault *for rating purposes*, bonus and all. Brutal, but standard, and another reason the details you exchange are worth real money.
Layer 2: your claims history (recorded either way)
Every claim you lodge goes on your record, flagged at-fault or not-at-fault. Insurers share and check this history when quoting. A not-at-fault entry is far milder than an at-fault one, but some insurers' pricing models do factor claim frequency of any kind, on the logic that people who lodge claims tend to lodge more claims.
Layer 3: the premium at renewal (where the surprises live)
- Premiums move every year for reasons that have nothing to do with you: repair-cost inflation, your suburb's theft stats, your car's parts prices.
- A not-at-fault claim *can* still nudge some insurers' risk models, entirely legally, because rating factors are their commercial call.
- The practical test: if your renewal jumps after a not-at-fault claim, shop the quote around. Loyalty rarely beats a fresh comparison in the Australian market.
Do I have to tell my insurer about the accident at all?
Yes, twice over. Most policies require notification of any incident promptly, whether or not you claim; and your duty to take reasonable care not to misrepresent applies when renewing or switching insurers, which includes answering accident-history questions truthfully. Notifying an incident is not the same as making a claim: say clearly that you're notifying only, not claiming.
The route that avoids your policy entirely
Here's the structural point: everything above concerns claims on your own policy. When the accident wasn't your fault, your losses can instead be claimed directly against the at-fault driver's insurer: the direct route, which is what Crash Assist manages for eligible drivers. No claim on your policy, no excess, and your no-claim bonus never enters the conversation. You still notify your insurer of the incident; you just don't hand them a claim.
Note
Policies differ meaningfully on every point above: waiver wording, rating factors, disclosure questions. Treat this guide as the map, and your PDS as the terrain. Unsure how it applies to your crash? Ask us, it costs nothing.
Quick answers
Will a not-at-fault claim show up when I switch insurers?
Yes, insurers ask about your claims and incident history when quoting, and answering accurately is part of your duty when taking out cover. Declare it with its not-at-fault status; most quoting systems treat it gently.
Do demerit points come into this?
Only if you committed a traffic offence. Points attach to offences, not to accidents or fault findings. A genuinely not-at-fault driver typically receives no infringement and loses no points.
I was hit by an unidentified driver. Why is my insurer treating it as at-fault?
Because their recovery target doesn't exist: with no identified at-fault party, the insurer wears the cost, and most PDS wording treats unrecoverable claims as at-fault for rating. It's harsh, and it's why any fragment of a rego, dashcam frame or CCTV lead is worth chasing. See what to do after an accident.
About this guide: general information for NSW drivers, prepared by the Crash Assist team, not legal, financial or insurance advice. Accidents turn on their facts; for an answer specific to yours, get in touch, it costs nothing to ask.