Why Reporting an Incident Quickly Matters

When an accident happens, safety always comes first. Checking on drivers, passengers, and anyone involved is the top priority. But once everyone is safe, reporting the incident quickly should be the next focus. 

Reporting an accident more than 24 hours after it happens can add thousands to the total claim cost - and that increase will have a major impact on your fleet’s renewal premium no matter what insurer you renew with.

Here’s everything you need to know about why early notification makes all the difference and how you can save your fleet tens of thousands.

Does Reporting an Accident Instantly Raise Your Insurance Costs?

One of the biggest misconceptions in commercial fleet insurance is that notifying your insurer about an incident automatically raises your premiums. That’s not the case.

Unlike personal motor insurance, you can notify Flock of an incident without it immediately becoming a claim on your policy. This impact-free notification means that you should always report an incident - even if you’re unsure whether you’ll need to claim.

By keeping us in the loop, you give us the chance to step in early, assess the situation, and control third party costs before they escalate. This early intervention allows us to contact the third party and reduce the risk of inflated expenses like credit hire.

The Cost of Late Reporting

Delays in reporting incidents result in higher claims costs. Here’s what we typically see when incidents aren’t reported quickly:

• Third-party costs spiral: Without early intervention, third-party repair and hire costs are on average £4,000 more expensive per claim.
• Liability disputes become harder: The longer the delay, the harder it becomes to defend the claim.
• Claims drag on: Delayed reporting slows repair timelines and keeps vehicles off the road for longer, driving up overall costs.
  
  

What Slows Reporting Down?

In our Safety Review sessions with hundreds of fleets, we consistently heard the same thing: claims were too manual and time-consuming. Fleet managers said the traditional process involved lengthy phone calls, emails back and forth, and no clear instructions on what to do or when.

There was also a lack of understanding around why early reporting matters. Drivers would often delay telling fleet managers, unsure if it was worth raising. In many cases, the incidents weren’t reported until days later - in fact, the average time to report a claim by email is 18 days.

Flock built the Report an Incident Portal feature to solve exactly that - and it takes just three minutes to complete.

Flock’s three-minute digital reporting feature

No phone queues. No email ping-pong. Just one simple, digital form that works 24/7.

When filling out the form, fleet managers can:

• Upload third-party details
• Attach photos and documentation
• Trigger our claims handling process

It’s one of the quickest claims processes out there - built from broker and fleet feedback to cut down the admin and kick off third-party intervention straight away.

What used to involve long phone calls, hold music, back-and-forth emails, and missing paperwork is now streamlined into one clear journey. Fleet managers can submit everything directly from their phone or computer in minutes.

Combined with our Safety Insights and coaching, fast reporting is a huge step to control one of the major expenses every fleet comes up against - by up to 40% per claim. 

What Information Do You Report on a Fleet Insurance Claim?

When reporting an incident, the third-party details are key. The more information your driver collects, the better equipped we are to intervene effectively with the third party.

Your driver should capture:

• Third-party name & contact details - A phone number is especially important for us to intervene quickly.
• Vehicle registration number - Helps us verify the other party’s insurer.
• Any injuries sustained - Enables us to assess risk and prevent exaggerated claims.
• Photos of the scene - Visual evidence can be crucial in defending your position.

For the full, easy checklist visit the Flock claims checklist page here.

‍How to Track Claims

At Flock, we make it easy to track your claim:

Use the Flock Portal - Log in and track all your claims in the claims section of the Flock Portal.

Call our team - Reach us anytime on 0344 856 2215 for immediate support.

How Does Faster Reporting Impact Your Next Fleet Insurance Policy?

Renewal premiums are based on a range of factors, but consistently high claim costs can be one of the biggest drivers of increased pricing. But what’s often overlooked is how much of that cost is determined in the hours and days after an incident occurs.

When a claim is reported quickly, insurers can verify the facts while they’re fresh; to make sure small issues don't become expensive problems. The speed is what controls claim costs and premiums. 

Over time, doing this consistently builds a strong claims experience - something underwriters look closely at during renewal. That's because fleets that report incidents quickly tend to have more predictable results.

So, if your goal is to keep your insurance affordable, early incident reporting is a must.

‍Make Fast Reporting Part of the Culture

The best-performing fleets make fast digital reporting and safety part of their culture. That means training drivers, embedding reporting processes, and using Flock tools to make it effortless.

Safety and risk reduction doesn’t stop at the roadside. It’s an ongoing process that starts the moment a policy is bound. Our in-person Safety Reviews help ensure everyone in the business understands their role in reporting incidents quickly and accurately.

Case study: How early reporting saved Voi thousands

When Voi, a leading e-mobility operator, moved their van fleet insurance to Flock, they were looking for a partner that could help them manage both cost and risk. By embracing our digital-first claims process and reporting incidents faster, Voi dramatically reduced claims frequency and overall costs.

Voi’s cost per claim was a major pain point. In Q1 2024, their average stood at £6,768 - driven up by delayed reporting and escalating third-party costs.

By the end of the year, Q4 2024, that figure had dropped by over 60% to just £1,974 per claim. By submitting 67% claims within 24 hours, Voi prevented unnecessary cost escalations, kept repair timelines short, and dramatically reduced their overall claims expenses.

This kind of impact is only possible when insurers and fleets work closely together - and when incidents are reported early.

Read the full case study here.

Hands on visibility for brokers

Faster reporting provides brokers with crucial transparency and an opportunity to engage with clients proactively.

When a claim is submitted through Flock:

• Brokers are notified immediately
• Claims are visible in real time in the Flock Portal
• Brokers can step in and support their clients with guidance and advice

This transparency strengthens broker-client relationships and helps everyone stay ahead of risk.

Act Fast, Stay in Control of Costs

Incidents on the road are often unavoidable - but high claims costs don’t have to be. The speed and clarity of your response can make the difference between a minor bump in the road and a major hit to your bottom line.

Throughout our work with fleets, we’ve seen how delays in reporting can quickly escalate what could have been manageable incidents.

In one case, a motorcycle claim reported 26 days after the event triggered a £16,000 credit hire cost. In another, a driver attempted to settle privately, but the incident was reported over 100 days later - resulting in £30,000 in credit hire costs. One fleet even lost their renewal terms altogether after repeated delays pushed claims costs out of control.

Reporting incidents within 24 hours is one of the most effective ways to minimise claims costs, speed up resolutions, and keep your renewal premiums in check.

The sooner we’re notified, the sooner we can step in and take action.

A Simple Tool with Huge Impact

At Flock, we’ve built every part of our claims process around the principle of fast reporting. From mobile-friendly reporting forms and QR codes in vehicles, to our claims dashboard in the Portal, it’s all designed to give you control, not complexity.

And this doesn’t stop at claims. Our Safety Insights, coaching sessions, and broker tools work together to build a culture of responsiveness and risk awareness - helping fleets not just react faster, but operate smarter every day.

So the next time something happens on the road, remember this: fast action leads to better outcomes. Not just for your drivers and vehicles, but for your business as a whole.

Need support? Visit flockcover.com or call us on 0344 856 2215. We’re here to help - from the very first mile.

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