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Service · PHV accident claims
Private Hire Accident Claims
Private hire vehicle drivers - Uber, Bolt, Addison Lee, ViaVan, FreeNow, Veezu and independent operators - earn from a vehicle that has to be licensed, insured for hire and reward, and inspected. After a non-fault collision, a wrong move on insurance class, replacement vehicle licensing or operator notification can cost days of earnings and risk the PHV licence itself. We handle the claim with the PHV-specific rules in mind.
- Independent engineer (not insurer panel)
- Like-for-like replacement (ULEZ-compliant)
- Direct dialogue with at-fault insurer
- No success, No fee
24/7
Dispatch
£0
Upfront
PAS 125
Repair std
24/7
UK response
Recovery dispatch and live claim handlers, 365 days a year.
Response
<60m
First contact SLA
Cost
£0
Upfront to driver
Cost to you
£0 upfront · No success, No fee
Response time
Under 60 minutes, 24/7
Window of urgency
14-day CCTV retention
Coverage
UK-wide · 24/7
What is private hire accident claims and when does it apply?
Private hire vehicle drivers - Uber, Bolt, Addison Lee, ViaVan, FreeNow, Veezu and independent operators - earn from a vehicle that has to be licensed, insured for hire and reward, and inspected. After a non-fault collision, a wrong move on insurance class, replacement vehicle licensing or operator notification can cost days of earnings and risk the PHV licence itself. We handle the claim with the PHV-specific rules in mind. It applies to: Non-fault collisions while on a booked job (passenger or empty); Non-fault collisions while logged in to a ride-hailing app; Non-fault collisions on the way to / from a booked pickup.
Ranking factors
What makes a phv accident claims claim stronger
These are the practical ranking factors our handlers look for before a phv accident claims file is sent to the at-fault insurer. They help the page answer search intent and help the claim itself stand up to scrutiny.
Liability clarity
PHV accident claims files rank strongest when the accident narrative, photos and third-party details all point to the same non-fault sequence.
fault position
Evidence speed
The first 72 hours matter because CCTV, dashcam and witness memory fade quickly. We prioritise phv driver licence (tfl pco or council-issued) and phv vehicle licence (plate) and inspection certificate before the evidence window closes.
fresh proof
Mitigation and need
Replacement vehicle, recovery and storage costs must stay proportionate. The file is stronger when the reason for each cost is recorded before the at-fault insurer challenges it.
cost control
Repair standard
Independent engineering, PAS 125 / BS 10125 repair routing and clear total-loss notes help separate necessary work from insurer-panel shortcuts.
engineering
Communication record
Call notes, emails, consent records and insurer responses create a clean audit trail, especially where phv accident claims needs urgent action.
audit trail
Compliance boundary
We keep accident management, credit hire, repair and any personal-injury referral in separate consent lanes so the page and the claim remain clear.
regulated process
What this service is
PHV accident claims explained, in plain English
Private hire vehicle drivers - Uber, Bolt, Addison Lee, ViaVan, FreeNow, Veezu and independent operators - earn from a vehicle that has to be licensed, insured for hire and reward, and inspected. After a non-fault collision, a wrong move on insurance class, replacement vehicle licensing or operator notification can cost days of earnings and risk the PHV licence itself. We handle the claim with the PHV-specific rules in mind.
"Dispatch recovery suited to a PHV (sedan, MPV or executive class) to a CCTV-monitored yard"- handler note for phv accident claims
When it applies
Situations where phv accident claims fits
Not every collision needs every service line. PHV accident claims is the right route where one or more of the following applies:
- Non-fault collisions while on a booked job (passenger or empty)
- Non-fault collisions while logged in to a ride-hailing app
- Non-fault collisions on the way to / from a booked pickup
- Damage from passengers, third parties or contracted operator depots
- Loss-of-earnings claims where the PHV is off-road awaiting repair
How we help
The phv accident claims workflow, step-by-step
Each step below is something we actually do for you on this service line - not a generic claims-handling description. Each step is documented in the file we open in your name.
A
What we do
- 1
Dispatch recovery suited to a PHV (sedan, MPV or executive class) to a CCTV-monitored yard
- 2
Arrange a like-for-like council-licensed replacement PHV, plated for the correct authority, so you keep earning
- 3
Notify the operator (Uber/Bolt/Addison Lee/etc.) of the incident and pause job dispatch until ready
- 4
Coordinate hire-and-reward insurance correspondence - not standard SD&P channels
- 5
Build the loss-of-earnings schedule from app statements and ledger records
- 6
Coordinate engineer inspection against PHV vehicle age and condition standards (typically max 5-10 years depending on council)
- 7
Handle correspondence with the at-fault driver's insurer directly so you stay on the road
B
What happens next
- 1
Recovery dispatched and a licensed replacement PHV delivered, typically within 24-72 hours
- 2
Earnings schedule submitted to the at-fault insurer with operator statement support
- 3
Repair runs on a PAS 125 / BSI compliant repairer with PHV-class parts authorised
- 4
Where the vehicle is a total loss, we coordinate Cat S/N retention or replacement-vehicle sourcing within the council's age limit
- 5
Settlement of the property damage, hire and loss-of-earnings schedule directly with the at-fault insurer
Documents needed
What to gather before you call
You do not need to have everything to hand to open the file - but the more of the list below we have at intake, the faster phv accident claims runs.
PHV driver licence (TfL PCO or council-issued)
PHV vehicle licence (plate) and inspection certificate
Hire-and-reward insurance certificate (not private SD&P)
Operator agreement / app onboarding record
Earnings statements (last 8 weeks of completed jobs)
Damage photos, scene photos and dashcam/in-car-camera footage
Third-party driver details and any passenger statements
What to avoid
PHV accident claims pitfalls - what not to do
Each item below is a common, preventable mistake on phv accident claims. Most can be fixed if caught early; some - like premature repair before engineer inspection - cannot.
- Do not work on private SD&P insurance after the collision - your hire-and-reward cover must be live and matched to the replacement
- Do not accept a non-PHV replacement (standard rental car) - it will fail at the first council compliance check
- Do not delay operator notification - most operator agreements require notice within 24 hours of any incident
- Do not settle with the at-fault driver privately - it almost always undercuts the loss-of-earnings recovery
- Do not let the engineer's report sit on a panel valuation - PHV vehicles are valued at retail PHV market rates, which differ from standard retail
Compliance disclaimer
Replacement vehicles must be correctly licensed and insured for hire and reward. PHV licensing rules vary by issuing authority (TfL or council). Loss-of-earnings recoveries are subject to evidenced earnings history, operator records and the at-fault driver's insurer's assessment.
We do not provide legal advice. Personal injury enquiries are referred only with your separate written consent (UK GDPR Article 7) to authorised legal or regulated partners.
Deep dive
PHV accident claims in detail
PHV insurance class and why it matters at claim time
Private hire vehicles in the UK must carry hire and reward insurance, not standard social, domestic and pleasure (SD&P) cover. Hire and reward is a regulated insurance class designed for vehicles that carry paying passengers under pre-booked arrangements (as distinct from hackney / taxi cover, which permits street hails). The class is mandated by section 143 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and the relevant local licensing authority's Conditions of Licence.
At claim time, the insurance class on your policy must match the use the vehicle was being put to at the moment of the collision. If you were logged in to a ride-hailing app on private SD&P cover, every UK insurer will treat that as a void or voided-from-inception policy and the claim will fail. If you were driving off-shift on a hire-and-reward policy but with no booking active, the cover is still typically valid - the policy is set to your use, not to whether the app is open.
We check the cover position at intake. If there is any ambiguity, we work it through with your insurer before the claim is filed. The cleaner the class position, the cleaner the schedule, and the lower the risk of insurer challenge later.
The replacement PHV - like-for-like with the right plate
Under Lagden v O'Connor [2003] UKHL 64, a non-fault driver is entitled to a like-for-like replacement vehicle on credit hire while their own vehicle is being repaired or replaced. For PHV drivers, like-for-like means the replacement must be licensed by the same council that licenses your own PHV (or, in London, by TfL). A standard Avis or Enterprise rental car will not satisfy the licensing condition and you will not be able to work on it - meaning your loss of earnings continues.
We source the replacement from a partner credit hire network that holds PHV-plated vehicles in the major licensing authorities (TfL across London, plus the larger council authorities such as Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff and the major commuter belt councils). For less common licensing authorities, plating timescales can run to 7-14 days, which is built into the schedule. Where a like-for-like PHV is not available within a reasonable window, we may place a comparable PHV from a neighbouring authority on a temporary cross-border permit.
For TfL-licensed drivers, the replacement must additionally be ULEZ-compliant (since 29 August 2023 the expanded ULEZ covers every London borough). Zero Emission Capable vehicles fall into TfL's older age allowance. We screen at placement so you do not get hit with daily ULEZ charges that erode the loss-of-earnings schedule.
PHV ACCIDENT CLAIMS
03
Section 3 of the walkthrough.
Loss of earnings - how the schedule is built
Loss of earnings is a recoverable head of damage from the at-fault driver's insurer. The schedule is built from objective, evidenced earnings history - typically the last 8 weeks of completed jobs taken from your operator app's earnings statement. That is long enough to capture seasonal variation but short enough to reflect current rates.
From the gross app earnings we deduct a reasonable adjustment for fuel and electricity, operator commission (typically 25 per cent for Uber, 15-25 per cent for Bolt, variable for Addison Lee), vehicle running cost (depreciation, tyres, servicing, MOT pro-rata), tax (Class 4 NICs plus income tax at the marginal rate) and a 5-10 per cent productivity buffer. The figure that comes out is the genuine net loss to the driver, which is what the at-fault insurer is liable for.
Where the replacement PHV is available throughout, the loss-of-earnings claim is normally limited to the placement window (the 1-3 days between the incident and the replacement going live). Where the replacement is delayed beyond that window for licensing or sourcing reasons, the loss-of-earnings continues for the duration of the gap.
Operator notification and app account status
Most PHV operator agreements - Uber's UK Driver Terms, Bolt's UK Driver Service Agreement, Addison Lee's contractor terms - require notice of any accident within 24 hours, regardless of fault. The notice should be factual and brief: time, location, vehicle damage state, third-party details, and the fact that the matter is now being handled through an accident management partner. We can help you draft the notice.
App account suspension is a routine first-response from operators after an incident. The suspension is typically lifted once: (a) the vehicle damage is repaired or the replacement is in place; (b) the council's vehicle licence remains valid; (c) the operator's compliance team has the basic incident facts. Suspensions that drag on beyond 14 days are typically reviewable - we can correspond with operator compliance teams on your behalf if needed.
Cat S, Cat N and PHV total losses
PHV vehicles are valued at retail PHV market rates, not standard retail. The PHV market is narrower (smaller pool of buyers prepared to pay for a licensed plate-ready vehicle) but the prices can run higher for ULEZ-compliant or Zero Emission Capable cars in TfL territory because supply is genuinely constrained. A correct PHV valuation typically sits 5-15 per cent above the equivalent non-PHV retail valuation for the same age and mileage.
If the engineer marks the vehicle as Category S or N, you have the right to retain the salvage and keep the car (Cat A and B vehicles cannot be retained - see our salvage retention blog for the full guide). For PHV vehicles the retention question is more nuanced because the council's age limit and roadworthiness conditions still apply: a Cat S vehicle that has been repaired and signed off structurally is still subject to the council's annual inspection, and some councils will not relicense a Cat S vehicle at all. We will tell you the council's position before you elect retention.
06PHV ACCIDENT CLAIMSKey takeaway
Related: UK minicab claims hub
This page covers private hire generally. For deeper, claim-specific guidance - written for working minicab drivers and the people who ride with them - see our UK minicab claims hub at /minicab-accident-claims. The hub anchors a dedicated cluster covering hire-and-reward insurance class disputes, TfL versus local-authority licensing implications after a collision, platform-by-platform notification timelines (Uber, Bolt, Addison Lee, FreeNow, Ola, Wheely, plus local firms), and the loss-of-earnings schedule mechanics that follow from app statements rather than payslips. Driver-side issues - replacement vehicle sourcing, write-off valuation at retail PHV rates, engineer inspection against council age limits, and licence-suspension defence after an at-fault or under-investigation incident - live at /minicab-driver-accident-claims. Passengers injured in a minicab, including those whose driver was at fault, can read /minicab-passenger-accident-claim. The cluster also includes per-city PHV pages for Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Nottingham, Cardiff, Coventry, Leicester and London so that the council-specific plate rules, operating area boundaries and Clean Air Zone implications are addressed in the right jurisdiction.
Quick eligibility check
Could you open a phv accident claims claim?
Three questions. If you can answer "yes" to all three, we can open a file for you in under five minutes - no upfront cost, no obligation.
- 1
Was the collision in the UK in the last 3 years?
Property-damage claims have a 6-year limitation; injury claims have 3 years from the date of accident under the Limitation Act 1980. Older incidents can still be reviewed - call us.
- 2
Is the other driver clearly at fault (or uninsured/untraced)?
Non-fault means the at-fault insurer pays the schedule. Uninsured / untraced is handled through the Motor Insurers' Bureau under the 2017 agreements.
- 3
Did you exchange details, or report the incident to police?
Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 covers the reporting duty. CRIS / CAD references are useful but not essential - we can request CCTV directly.
Why drivers switch to us
PHV accident claims with us vs the at-fault insurer's panel handler
The at-fault driver's insurer will offer to handle the claim through their own panel - repairer, hire company, engineer. That is their cost-control route. Below is what that route looks like, side-by-side with what we do for the same file.
| Decision point | At-fault insurer panel | With CityGrip |
|---|---|---|
| Engineer | Panel engineer paid out of cost-controlled budget | Independent engineer, retail repair scope |
| Replacement car | Class A economy courtesy car, 7-14 days max | Like-for-like credit hire, full repair window |
| Repair | Panel repairer to insurer time/cost SLA | PAS 125 / BSI 10125 partner, OEM parts where specified |
| Vehicle valuation | Trade / auction comparables | Retail comparables (Lagden v O'Connor) |
| Excess refund | You chase your own insurer | Recovered for you as part of the schedule |
| Schedule transparency | Bundled into a single offer | Itemised, disclosable on request |
| No-claims discount | Your own policy claim may impact NCD | Direct against at-fault insurer - NCD protected |
Source: panel-handling practice is documented across UK accident-management trade press and ABI GTA materials; our side reflects our standard service line.
Prefer to talk it through?
Speak to a UK accident handler now
We answer 24/7. No call queue, no recorded menu, no upsell. We take the details, tell you whether the claim is workable, and either open the file or point you to a route that suits you better. No obligation.
- Free 5-minute eligibility review
- Calls recorded for quality (notified before)
- Email / WhatsApp as an alternative
Tap to call
0330 043 3409
24/7 · UK accident handlers
Or email / form if you prefer asynchronous.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a PHV-compliant replacement vehicle?
- A replacement that is licensed (plated) by the same council that licenses your own PHV, is insured for hire and reward, falls inside the council's age limit (typically 5-10 years - TfL allows older Zero Emission Capable vehicles), and meets emission rules where applicable (ULEZ in London, Bristol CAZ, Birmingham CAZ, Glasgow LEZ, etc.).
- Can I claim loss of earnings if my PHV is off-road?
- Yes - loss of earnings is a recoverable head of damage from the at-fault driver's insurer. We build the schedule from your operator app statements (last 8 weeks is a defensible window), with a reasonable adjustment for fuel, commission, vehicle running cost and tax, so the net loss is what is claimed.
- How long does the replacement PHV stay with me?
- Until your vehicle is repaired and back on the road (typically 7-28 days for routine repairs), or until total-loss settlement plus a reasonable replacement-vehicle search window (typically 14 days). The hire window is on credit hire against the at-fault insurer.
- Do I need to tell my operator (Uber / Bolt / Addison Lee)?
- Yes - most operator agreements require notice within 24 hours of any incident, regardless of fault. We can help you draft the notification so it is factual, brief and does not prejudice the claim. App account suspension is typically temporary while the incident is reviewed.
- What happens if the at-fault driver was uninsured?
- We route the claim through the Motor Insurers' Bureau under their 2017 Uninsured Drivers' Agreement, with your separate written consent. Recovery, storage and replacement vehicle continue. Loss-of-earnings is also recoverable through the MIB process.
- Can my operator (Uber / Bolt) claim on my behalf?
- Operators are not the insurer of the vehicle and cannot conduct the claim. They can provide statements and earnings data to support the schedule, but the claim itself is between you (as the insured driver), the at-fault driver's insurer, and us as the accident management partner.
Built on UK standards
PAS 125 / BS 10125
Repair standard
ABI GTA
Credit-hire framework
ABI Salvage Code
Cat A/B/S/N
UK GDPR Art 7
Separate consents
MIB 2017
Uninsured / untraced
OIC portal
Tariff-track injury
Standards we work to. Not an endorsement by, or affiliation with, the named bodies.
Related service lines
Services that often run alongside phv accident claims
Non-fault accident claims →
End-to-end coordination for non-fault drivers.
Accident recovery →
24/7 dispatch to a CCTV-monitored partner yard.
Accident storage →
Daily-logged secure storage with photographic record.
Credit hire →
Like-for-like replacement vehicle subject to eligibility.
Repair management →
PAS 125 / BSI compliant approved partner repairers.
Engineer inspection →
Independent engineer, retail repair scope.
Talk to a real person
Ready to start a phv accident claims claim?UK accident support, end-to-end.
The fastest way is to call. Or start the digital accident form and our team will pick it up. Available across England, Scotland & Wales.
Calls may be recorded for quality and compliance. We do not provide legal advice. Personal injury enquiries are referred only with your consent to authorised partners.
Visit our team
London office
124 City Road
London, EC1V 2NX
Coverage
- Phone & accident form24 / 7
- Recovery dispatch24 / 7
- Repair coordinationMon-Sat 8:00 - 18:00
- SundaysEmergency only
45+UK cities
9vehicle types
GDPRcompliant
Tip: submit the accident form first - our team will call back with a reference and next steps.