By 
MORE THAN one third of people (34%) who have claimed on their insurance for damage to a hire car or van said
the damage was not their fault, according to a recent survey.
A car park was the biggest hot spot for claims, with over a fifth (21%) of all claims made for damage to the vehicle whilst in a car park. And of these, over half (54%) occurred when the driver was not present or were caused by a third party.
iCarhireinsurance.com, a provider of stand-alone excess car hire insurance, analysed its claims for a year period, from January 2012 to January 2013, and found that of those who said the damage wasn't their fault, 5% had their vehicle stolen, 7% had their vehicle vandalised, 33% had suffered damage in a car park by a third party or when the driver wasn't present and 55% of the damage was accidental or collision/impact.
"Even the best drivers can have their car scratched by a supermarket trolley while parked in a car park," said Ernesto Suarez, founder of iCarhireinsurance.com. "The decision to buy excess insurance is not just about
how good a driver you are, it's also about how bad everyone else may be!"
Buying excess car hire insurance from the rental desk can significantly add to a traveller's costs. Hiring a car in Nice, over the Easter period, from 29 March to 5 April 2013, the excess insurance offered by the car rental company could be as much as £128 for the week and this excludes vulnerable parts of the vehicle getting
damaged, i.e. the tyres and windscreen.
