A vehicle has hit your property, or a tree has come down on your home.
Beyond the shock, you’re now facing an insurance claim: working out whether the structure has been affected, what your policy covers, and what happens when someone else caused the damage. Insurers may propose repairs that treat structural movement as cosmetic, or a scope of works that stops at what’s visible.
PCLA helps homeowners across Northern Ireland prepare, evidence and negotiate impact damage insurance claims. We act for you, not the insurer, so the full extent of the damage, including what can’t be seen from the kerb, is properly assessed and presented from the start.
Thinking about making a claim? Speak to PCLA first. A short call costs nothing.
Impact is a standard insured peril under most UK buildings insurance policies, typically covering damage caused by vehicles, fallen trees and branches, and other falling objects, to your home, garage, outbuildings and often boundary walls, though the detail depends on your specific policy wording.
For a full explanation of what’s covered, what to do when another party caused the damage, and how hidden structural damage and engineer reports fit in, see our impact damage claims guide. This page explains how PCLA handles the claim for you.
Your insurer may appoint a loss adjuster to assess the claim on their behalf. A loss assessor works for you. Our team includes qualified building surveyors, which matters on impact claims, where the visible damage is not always the whole story.
Tell us what happened and where the claim stands. We'll give you an honest view of whether a loss assessor is likely to help.
We inspect the property in person and review your policy. We look beyond the point of impact for signs the structure has been affected: cracking away from the strike, movement in openings, roof displacement.
We document the damage with photographs and reports, prepare a full scope of works, and where structural questions arise, work with the engineering findings so nothing identified is left out of the claim.
We handle all correspondence with your insurer and their loss adjuster, address disputes over the repair scope or the cause of damage, and negotiate the settlement on your behalf.
Once settlement is agreed, repairs can proceed, or funds are released, depending on your policy and preference.
A family living in a four-bedroom detached house in Bangor, County Down, suffered extensive impact damage after a car being driven recklessly left the road, crashed through the front garden fence, crossed the lawn and struck the front elevation of their home before coming to rest inside the living room.
The force of the collision caused significant structural damage to the external wall and displaced load-bearing masonry around the large front window. The impact also damaged internal partitions, flooring, electrical installations and heating pipework, leaving the property unsafe to occupy while structural engineers assessed the extent of the damage.
The impact caused damage to the front brick boundary fence and entrance gate, front garden landscaping, an external retaining wall, the load-bearing external wall, the living room window and lintel, structural brickwork, internal stud partitions, timber flooring, plasterwork and decorations, electrical wiring and sockets, central heating pipework, and built-in cabinetry and furniture.
Although liability for the collision was not disputed, determining the full extent of the structural damage proved considerably more complex than the visible impact suggested. Engineers identified movement within the front elevation, requiring sections of the external wall to be demolished and rebuilt. Temporary structural supports were installed while detailed investigations confirmed the integrity of the remaining structure. The property was also deemed uninhabitable during the repair works, resulting in a substantial alternative accommodation claim.
The claim was settled for £68,942.15.
“Seeing a car sitting in our living room was something we never imagined. Initially we thought it would just be rebuilding the wall, but every inspection uncovered more damage. PCLA managed everything from the structural reports to negotiating with the insurer. They made sure every aspect of the claim was properly evidenced and we didn’t have to battle through the process ourselves.”
Impact damage claims involving significant structural collisions often require far more than repairing the obvious damage. Hidden movement within the building, compromised structural elements, damaged services and temporary stabilisation measures can all substantially increase the scope of reinstatement. PCLA carried out a detailed assessment of the property, coordinated specialist engineering inspections, prepared a comprehensive schedule of works and negotiated directly with the insurer to secure a settlement that reflected the true cost of restoring the property to its pre-loss condition.
Case details shared with the permission of the policyholder.
Over 270 homeowners across Northern Ireland and Scotland have rated PCLA five stars for taking the stress out of their insurance claims.
If a vehicle, tree or falling object has damaged your home, we manage the claim so you don't have to.
Impact damage at a rental property adds tenant safety, access and sometimes loss of rent to the claim. We handle it end to end.
Vehicle strikes on commercial premises, from delivery vehicles to plant, bring business interruption questions alongside the building repair. We manage both.
The damage often goes beyond what’s visible. A significant strike transfers force through the structure. Cracking away from the impact point, doors that no longer close square, or roof movement can indicate wider damage that a quick inspection misses.
Someone else usually caused it. Vehicle strikes and neighbours’ trees mean a third party’s insurer is often in the background, which affects excess recovery and no-claims positions, and adds a layer of correspondence most homeowners haven’t dealt with before.
Repair scopes can stop at the surface. Where an insurer treats structural symptoms as cosmetic, the repair may not reflect the true extent of the damage. The engineering evidence decides this, which is why how thoroughly the damage is documented matters so much.
Boundary walls and outbuildings have their own rules. Walls, gates, fences and garages are commonly covered, but often with separate limits or exclusions that catch homeowners out.
Emergency works need documenting. Making the property safe is expected and commonly claimable, but undocumented emergency work is a frequent source of dispute later.
A repair scope that stops at the visible damage, or a disagreement over whether cracking was caused by the impact, isn’t always the end of the matter. Our impact damage claims guide covers the common reasons these claims are challenged and what evidence helps. If your insurer has made an offer you’re unsure reflects the full damage, speak to us before you settle.
Cars, vans, HGVs and agricultural vehicles hitting homes, garages and walls
Including neighbouring and roadside trees
Vehicle and tree damage to boundary structures
Where the strike has affected the building's stability
Poles, masts, aerial debris
Making safe, and claims where the home isn't habitable
There are two moments to speak to us.
Appointing PCLA before your insurer’s loss adjuster visits gives us the chance to inspect first, document the damage properly, and prepare the claim from the strongest position.
If your insurer has already inspected and made an offer, you don’t have to accept it straight away. A settlement isn’t final until you’ve agreed it, and on impact claims the difference between a surface repair and a full reinstatement can be substantial.
Call PCLA: 028 9581 5318.
No-win, no-fee loss-assessing services are available for most domestic property damage claims. PCLA’s standard fee is 10% of the settlement plus VAT. The rate on an individual claim can be higher or lower depending on its size and complexity, and your exact fee is agreed with you in writing before you appoint us. How our fees work
There is no upfront cost, and there is no obligation from an initial call.
Impact by vehicles is a standard peril on most UK buildings policies, so it’s normally covered, subject to your policy wording. Our impact damage claims guide covers this in detail, including what happens when the driver is uninsured or untraced.
Usually, yes. Your insurer can then seek to recover its costs from the responsible party’s insurer, which is also what typically restores your excess and no-claims position.
You often can’t tell from the outside, which is exactly the risk. Cracking away from the impact point, misaligned doors and windows, or roof movement are warning signs. Our surveyors look for these on inspection, and structural engineers are brought in where stability is in question.
A loss adjuster is appointed and paid by your insurer. A loss assessor, such as PCLA, is appointed by, and acts for, the homeowner. See our guide to the difference between a loss assessor and a loss adjuster.
PCLA covers Belfast and across Northern Ireland, including Co. Antrim and Co. Down. Call 028 9581 5318 if you’re unsure whether we cover your area.
No. No ethical claims company should guarantee an outcome. We make sure your claim is properly evidenced, costed and negotiated so the settlement reflects the true scope of the loss.
For coverage details, third-party liability, hidden structural damage and why impact claims are disputed, see our impact damage claims guide.
If a vehicle, tree or falling object has damaged your property, PCLA gives you your own independent expert before the claim begins.
No Win, No Fee: typically 10% + VAT of your settlement. How our fees work No upfront cost. No obligation from an initial call.
