Subrogation

When another driver causes the damage, you have two routes: claim from your own comprehensive policy (fast, but you pay your excess), or claim directly against the at-fault driver (slower, no excess, but you carry the effort and risk). If you claim from your own insurer, subrogation lets them recover what they paid from the at-fault party afterwards, using the rights you had against that party.

The practical upside for you is the excess. If your insurer recovers successfully from the at-fault driver, your excess is usually refunded, because the loss was ultimately borne by the party responsible. This is why it matters to give your insurer everything that supports recovery — the other driver's details, a police case number, photographs and a clear account of what happened.

Subrogation also explains why you must not sign away or privately settle your claim against a third party without telling your insurer: doing so can prejudice their recovery and, in turn, your own claim. Let the insurer pursue the at-fault party through the proper process.