Damages & Claims

What documents are required to lodge a claim?

Immediately after notifying us, fill out the claim form and sign it. This can be filled online, at any of our offices, or by mailing it to us. We will need the following documents:
1. Motor claim form
2. Driving Licence
3. The Incident Report (if applicable)
4. Photos of the accident
You may need to pay a policy excess, which we will advise you of when we receive your claim form.

What should I do if I have an accident?

First of all, stay calm!

It is very important that should anyone be injured in the accident, please call the Police and an ambulance should there be grave injuries. If the accident is a bumper to bumper, fill in the ‘Front to Rear’ form with the other driver and keep a copy to give to us. The other driver should give the other copy to his insurance company. Once you both agree to fill in the form, please move your vehicles to the side of the road to avoid traffic congestion.

You may ask us for a ‘Front to Rear’ form if you have not already been given one or if you have used it. Should the accident not be a bumper to bumper, do not move the vehicles and call the Traffic Wardens on 2132 0202. The warden’s report will be automatically sent to the respective insurance companies. In all cases, please do not admit any liability on site. Please do remember to take note of the other party’s name and vehicle registration number.

Should you find yourself the victim of a hit and run accident, or find your vehicle damaged, do remember to make a report with the police and inform us.

Contact Atlas within 24 hours of the accident and we will guide you on how to proceed. Should the accident be over a weekend, please contact us on Monday morning.

What is an Excess?

An excess is the amount which you are required to pay when you make a claim. Atlas motor policies do not require an excess to be paid for third party liability claims involving private cars when driven by drivers aged 25 or over. A standard excess of €50 applies for own damage, fire and theft including liability claims involving commercial vehicles and motorcycles.

You may increase the standard €50 excess to €100 or €200 for which you will be given a discount in your premium.

Drivers under the age of 25 normally have higher excesses, ranging from €75 to €500.

Will I lose my No Claim Discount if I make a claim?

If the accident is not your fault, you will not lose your No Claim Discount. Please note however that if liability has not been determined yet and your insurance is up for renewal, the NCD will be temporarily lost and the difference is reimbursed once we receive acceptance of liability from the other party.

For private cars having comprehensive or third party fire & theft cover, if there is one claim within a 12 month cover period, your 6th year 65% No Claim Discount will remain at 65% the following year. This will, however, then be subject to a 2 year step back following a claim during the next year.

4th year (60%) or 5th year 65% No Claim Discount may be protected at an additional charge. Other policies are subject to step back or loss of No Claim Discount following an accident. Please refer to our full No Claim Discount rules for full details.

How will I know if I’m at fault or not for an accident?

For simple claims, the law will give a quick solution such as bumper to bumper accidents where the vehicle hitting the vehicle in front is generally to blame.

If the accident is more complex and the persons involved cannot agree, this case may be referred to arbitration or to Court. In such cases you will have our guidance throughout the whole process (this applies to comprehensive and third party fire and theft clients). Sometimes each party involved will have part of the blame and payments apportioned accordingly. You have every right not to agree with the way blame has been determined, however, through our long experience in this field, we will guide you on how fault is assigned according to Law and will try to avoid you incurring additional legal expenses.

One the major benefits of comprehensive cover is that we will deal with everything relating to our claim giving you peace of mind.

Where do I take my car to be surveyed?

If damages to your vehicle are relatively minor and it can be safely driven, you can phone us up to make an appointment for it to be surveyed at our Ta’ Xbiex Seafront office or at other locations which are closer to you.

If damages to your vehicle are more serious, you may need to take it to a repairer of your choice following registering of your claim with us. The repairer must be included on the approved list by the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority. Our surveyor will survey your vehicle at your repairer and repairs are agreed. Unfortunately in such cases appointments are not normally set up with surveyor and you will have to leave your vehicle at the repairer between 08:00 and 14:00.

If your vehicle cannot be structurally repaired or it is too expensive to repair compared to its market value, it can be declared a write off and a cash settlement is negotiated.

Will I have to take my vehicle for repairs at a particular garage?

No, it is entirely up to you where to take your vehicle for repairs as long as the repairer is approved by the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority. We will guide you on this when you are making your claim. Atlas provides you with the added service of surveying your vehicle at our Ta’ Xbiex Head Office if the damage is minimal.

Should you have no idea of where to take your vehicle for repairs, please do call us on 23 43 53 63 and ask for us in the motor claims department and we will be pleased to assist you.

Do I have to order the parts myself?

No, once you have made your claim with us, we will handle the ordering of car parts. Once parts are delivered to your repairer, he will contact you to fix an appointment for your repairs. It is advisable that you check up with your repairer ever so often to see if parts have been received so that you may commence repairs.

In the case of commercial vehicles, parts are dealt with by the owner.

Will I get a replacement vehicle while my vehicle is undergoing repairs?

If the accident is not your fault, the insurance company of the person causing the accident will pay for the car hire expenses while your vehicle is being repaired. Should the accident be your fault, you will be entitled to €100 car hire if you are comprehensively (private cars) insured with 65% No Claim Discount or any higher car hire limits that you might have chosen with your insurance policy. The number of days for car hire will normally be for period necessary for repairs to be carried out. If we are paying for car hire under a private comprehensive policy, we will extend this period to include the time awaiting parts if the car cannot be safely driven, always up to the policy limit applicable.

How long will it take to settle my claim?

The length of time to repair the car will be agreed by the repairer and surveyor. This does not include the length of time waiting for parts.

Invoices will be paid directly by Atlas in most cases (except for commercial vehicles due to the VAT element).

We will always keep our clients updated with the progress of their claim and we will also assist them in communicating with the third party’s insurance company.

Should you want an update on the progress of your claim, please feel free to phone us in the motor claims department on 23 43 53 63. We advise you to ask for the person who is handling your claim, however, if he or she is not available, all the other claim handlers will be able to assist you.

What should I do if I am not satisfied with the service I am given?

With the best will in the world, concerns about some aspects of our service can occasionally arise. In such circumstances our staff have wide authority to settle problems and will do everything they can to help. This should be your first point of contact. For further information please refer to our complaints procedure.

Insurance Cover

Why do I need motor insurance?

It is a requirement by Maltese and European Law to have third party liability cover when driving a motorized vehicle. The standard limits of liability are €1,300,000 for property damage and €6,450,000 for injuries or death to third parties. A motor vehicle cannot be registered for use if there is no insurance cover in place. A Maltese insurance policy will automatically cover liability while driving anywhere within the Maltese Islands and in any EEA country including the UK, Switzerland, Andorra and San Marino.

What is the difference between Third Party Fire & Theft and Comprehensive?

Besides the compulsory third party liability cover, third party fire and theft cover includes damage caused to the vehicle following fire, explosion, theft and attempted theft.

Comprehensive cover also very commonly known as ‘full’, covers all the previous risks plus accidental and malicious damage as well as damages due to storm and floods

Will my electric vehicle be covered under the Atlas Motor Policies?

Yes, your electric vehicle will be covered in the same way as all other motor vehicles having a petrol or diesel engine and the full policy benefits will apply depending on the type of cover you have. For example, fire and theft damage is covered under both comprehensive and Third Party Fire & Theft policies while any damage caused following lightning, storm and flood, is covered under a comprehensive policy. We further provide an additional benefit to Comprehensive and Third Party Fire & Theft policies covering electric private cars. This benefit provides cover up to €20,000 or the market value at the time (whichever is the lower) for damage to your electric car following a short-circuit to the drive battery and up to €1,000 for scrapping of the drive battery and/or decontamination of your electric car following accidental loss or damage covered by the policy.

How is the vehicle value established?

All motor policies in Malta do not cover vehicles on an agreed value. The policy usually states that the value of the vehicle must be the market value at the time of the loss.

The vehicle value usually features in the event of a claim where the vehicle is beyond economical repair and is written-off. The market value is usually the price that the vehicle would fetch in the Maltese market if sold at that time. Please note that all vehicle values decrease every year and Insurers provide an estimate based on data provided to us by a Malta Insurance Association contractor – Cartell.com.mt as well as other value guides issued by the Malta Insurance Association. However, this is just a guide and a lot depends on the condition and use of the vehicle. Values also tend to vary from vehicles purchased in Malta to ones bought second-hand from the UK.

Clients are also given the option to have the vehicle privately surveyed. Insurance companies will accept the value on the survey report as long as the surveyor is approved by the Malta Insurance Association.

On what value should I insure my electric vehicle if I qualified for a Government grant?

We strongly recommend that you insure your electric vehicle on the total value without deducting the government grant. Should your electric vehicle be stolen or involved in an accident where it has become written-off, and you need to replace it with the same electric vehicle, there is no guarantee that the same government grant will be available again or the grant value could be lower. Should this happen, and you would have insured your electric vehicle on the value after deducting the grant, you could find yourself having to pay an amount replacing the grant to be able to purchase another electric vehicle. For example, the purchase price of your electric car was €30,000 and a government grant of €10,000 was given to you. If you insured it on €20,000 and you need to replace it in the first year following a claim, you might need to replace it at the full value of €30,000. This will mean that Atlas will pay you a maximum of 110% of the value i.e. €22,000 and if the purchase price has not further increased during that time, you would need to pay €8,000 to replace it.

Are there any special benefits with the Atlas motor policies?

Comprehensive Cover for Private Cars covers your car for accidental and malicious damage, fire, theft, floods and storms together with the following FREE benefits:

24 hour roadside assistance by Atlas RoadAssist (by RMF)

Protection of no claim discount on reaching 65% (on the 6th year)

Free GAP cover for new cars in the first year up to 110% of the value

Electric private car benefit of up to €20,000 or market value (whichever is the lower) for repairs following a short-circuit to the drive battery and €1,000 for scrapping of drive battery and/or decontamination of the electric car following accidental loss or damage, theft and attempted theft. Fire damage is covered up to the market value of the car.

Car hire up to €100 following a motor accident (with 65% no claim discount) - also while waiting for parts if the car cannot be safely driven

Car Hire up to €250 following fire and theft until you buy a replacement vehicle

Very low standard policy own damage excess of €50 (theft included)

No excess for claims made for third party damages only (drivers over 25)

No additional charge up to 30 days when travelling in the EEA member states, UK & Switzerland (including motorcycles)

All audio equipment forms part of the car accessories with no sub-limit

Child seat cover up to €125

Loss of keys/change of locks up to €750

Legal assistance for uninsured losses up to €1,000

Accidental damage to windscreens and glass up to €1000

Personal effects up to €250

Personal accident and medical expenses cover to all passengers including the driver

Removal of the standard Own Damage €50 excess is available at a nominal charge

Third Party Fire & Theft cover for Private Cars also covers your car for fire and theft together with the following FREE benefits:

Protection of no claim discount on reaching 65% (on the 6th year)

Free GAP cover for new cars in the first year up to 110% of the value

Electric private car benefit of up to €20,000 or market value (whichever is the lower) for repairs following a short-circuit to the drive battery and €1,000 for scrapping of drive battery and/or decontamination of the electric car following accidental loss or damage due to theft or attempted theft. Fire damage is covered up to the market value of the car.

Car Hire up to €250 following fire and theft until you buy a replacement vehicle

Very low standard policy excess of €50 (including that for Theft)

No excess for claims made for third party damages only (drivers over 25)

No additional charge up to 30 days when travelling in the EEA member states, UK & Switzerland (including motorcycles)

All audio equipment forms part of the car accessories with no sub-limit

Loss of keys/change of locks up to €750

Legal Assistance for uninsured losses up to €1,000

Great benefit available at a nominal additional cost 24 hour roadside assistance by Atlas RoadAssist (by RMF) is also available at a reduced cost on:

Private cars & motorcycles insured for third party fire & theft and third party only

All commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tonnage

What do I need to do if I want to go abroad with my vehicle?

Our private car & motorcycle comprehensive and third party fire and theft covers offer free 30 days cover during the annual policy cover when travelling within the EEA, the UK, Switzerland, Andorra and San Marino. You will not need to notify us as long as you do not exceed the 30 days in these countries. For other vehicles, you will always need to contact us.

You may download the EU accident report here or alternatively, call us on 2343 5381 and we will send you a copy by post. It is important to notify us if you will be spending more than 30 days outside Malta, as there will be an additional charge. If you wish to travel with your vehicle to a country outside Malta other than those mentioned above, please contact one of our Atlas offices for guidance.

Should you require Roadside Assistance during your trip, please do contact us on the same telephone number and we will guide you on how to acquire such assistance.

Will I get a refund of premium if I cancel my policy?

Clients may cancel their policy once the vehicle has been sold or scrapped as long as a copy of the transferred log book or scrapping note is given to us. Any refund of premium due will depend on how long the policy has been in force and whether any claims have been made. If there was a claim made during the insurance period for which you were at fault, no refund of premium is given.

If you wish to cancel the policy other than for the reasons mentioned above, you must give us 7 days’ notice and have the vehicle insured elsewhere before cancellation and any return premium will be calculated using Atlas’ short period rates.

Should Atlas wish to cancel your policy, we will give you 7 days’ notice of cancellation and your refund of premium will be calculated on a pro-rata basis. It is always very important that the original motor certificate of insurance is always returned to Atlas. Should this have been lost or misplaced, we would require an Affidavit from you stating this before we can cancel cover.