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Last updated 14th April 2026. If you’re injured in an accident caused by somebody else’s fault, you may be eligible to claim personal injury compensation. In the simplest of cases, the other person will accept liability for your injuries and pay you compensation through their insurance company. However, in some cases, the other party or their insurance company may deny liability and refuse to pay you compensation. In this instance, you may wonder, ‘What can I do if an insurance company has denied liability?’ Resolving this conflict involves taking steps such as understanding the reasons for the denial and building a strong case with the help of an expert personal injury solicitor.
Our solicitors can help you navigate this extremely tricky situation by explaining why your claim may have initially been rejected and helping you gather evidence to demonstrate that you are entitled to compensation. You can get in touch with our team now to discuss your case and to see if one of our solicitors could help you:
- Call on 0161 509 2856.
- Contact us online.
- Message our team on live chat.
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- What Can I Do If An Insurance Company Has Denied Liability?
- Why Do Insurance Companies Deny Liability For An Accident?
- What Should I Avoid Doing After An Insurance Company Denies Liability?
- Could A Solicitor Help Me Prove Liability After It’s Been Denied?
- Can I Still Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis If Liability Is Denied?
- More Information
What Can I Do If An Insurance Company Has Denied Liability?
If an insurance company has denied liability, you can take a few steps, such as understanding why the liability was denied, collecting evidence to challenge it, and seeking legal help. Below, we set out in more detail the various steps you could take:
Understanding Why Liability Was Denied
When issuing rejections, insurers need to explain their reasons. Some common causes include:
- Disputing fault or claiming that the policyholder wasn’t liable for your personal injury.
- There is insufficient evidence to link your injuries or financial losses to the accident.
- Alleged policy breaches or exclusions, such as an absence of witness statements or filing your claim late.
- Conflicting versions of the events from both sides.
You must ask the insurer to give you full details of the denial in written form, along with the evidence they relied on, such as photographs, CCTV footage or witness statements.
Collect Evidence To Challenge The Denial
If you wish to challenge the denial, you will have to collect strong evidence or review whatever existing evidence you have. This can include:
- Accident reports (depending on the accident, it may be a police report, an accident book report, or a complaint to the local authority).
- The contact details of any witnesses who could provide a statement of the events to a legal professional.
- Dashcam recording or CCTV footage of the incident.
- Medical records highlighting the severity of your injuries and what treatments you needed.
- Photographs of the accident scene and any visible injuries.
- Expert opinions, such as those from an independent medical professional.
This evidence could help to prove the opposite party’s fault for your injuries, along with disproving the insurer’s version of events.
Get Legal Help
A personal injury solicitor could help you when arguing against a disputed liability claim from an insurance company. A legal expert could help in the following ways:
- Reviewing the denial and explaining whether it’s legally justified.
- Helping you gather more evidence or organise the existing evidence.
- Negotiating directly with the insurer on your behalf.
- Initiating court proceedings, if required. However, you need not worry about this step, as our solicitors will do their best to secure an out-of-court settlement for you.
Our solicitors handle claims on a No Win No Fee basis, meaning you won’t need to pay for their services prior to the claim starting or if it is unsuccessful.
Get in touch with our team now to discuss how to claim personal injury compensation and to see whether we could help you.
Why Do Insurance Companies Deny Liability For An Accident?
Insurance companies deny liability for an accident due to many reasons, such as a dispute over who’s at fault, a lack of evidence or a delay in reporting the accident. We will explain why such issues could occur so that you can avoid them in your claim.
Disputing Who Was At Fault
This is one of the most common reasons for rejecting an insurance claim, as the insurer may argue:
- Their policyholder or the opposite party in your claim did not cause the accident.
- You were at least partially responsible for your injuries, if not completely (contributory negligence)
- Your description of the accident isn’t accurate.
- You were completely or partially responsible for the accident (split liability).
This kind of dispute is common in the following scenarios:
- Car accidents with conflicting versions
- Slips and trips with no witnesses
- Workplace accidents where procedures are disputed
Lack Of Evidence
An insurer may also refuse liability if they believe:
- There is insufficient evidence to prove that the policyholder was at fault.
- Your injuries aren’t supported by medical records.
- There is no proof supporting your version of events regarding how the accident happened
Some common reasons for rejections in this ground include:
- An absence of video footage or witnesses.
- Reporting the accident late.
- Inconsistent accounts of how the accident occurred.
Late Notification Or Reporting Issues
Insurers may argue that:
- There was a delay in reporting the accident.
- Certain details were unclear due to this delay.
- Time-sensitive evidence, such as CCTV footage, could not be accessed.
This argument is particularly common in workplace and public place accidents.
Policy Breaches Or Exclusions
The insurer may refuse to accept liability if the policyholder breached the policy’s conditions. Some examples of this include:
- Driving without a valid licence
- Allowing somebody else to drive the car who was not covered by the insurance
- Breaching health and safety rules
- Poor maintenance of a vehicle.
However, you must remember that this doesn’t prevent you from making a compensation claim. Even if you were partially responsible for your injury, you may still receive reduced compensation under contributory negligence.
Dispute Over Causation
In some cases, insurers may accept that the accident occurred but deny your injuries. They could do this by:
- Denying that your injuries were due to the accident.
- Downplaying the severity of your symptoms.
- Dismissing the correlation or reasonableness of your costs.
They may do this by arguing that your injuries are exaggerated or due to pre-existing conditions.
Do you have any other questions apart from ‘What can I do if an insurance company has denied liability?’ Read our guide on frequently asked questions related to personal injury claims.
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What Should I Avoid Doing After An Insurance Company Denies Liability?
After an insurance company denies liability, you should avoid accepting their decision too quickly, as your claim may still be able to proceed. However, you may need to gather additional evidence and possibly go to court if liability remains disputed (though most cases are settled out of court). Other crucial steps to avoid include:
- Speaking to insurers without legal advice, as this can lead to further disputes
- Posting about the incident or your claim on social media
- Missing important deadlines that may affect your claim
- Providing statements that are inconsistent or misleading
To ask an advisor, “What can I do if an insurance company has denied liability?” or to learn how we could help challenge an insurer’s decision, get in touch today.
Could A Solicitor Help Me Prove Liability After It’s Been Denied?
Yes, a solicitor may help you prove liability after it’s been denied if you have a valid personal injury claim. You can consult our advisory team to assess the validity of your case, and once that is ascertained, they will put you through to an expert solicitor, who will provide the following services:
- Answering all your questions, including ‘What can I do if an insurance company has denied liability?’
- Assisting you in the process of gathering evidence to prove that the insurance policy is liable for paying compensation.
- Communicating with the other party and their insurance company on your behalf.
- Arranging for an independent medical check-up to create a strong record of your injuries and symptoms.
- Informing you about the correct time limit or helping you to claim on behalf of a loved one, if applicable.
To see if one of our solicitors could help you, contact our advisors today.
Can I Still Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis If Liability Is Denied?
Yes, you can still claim on a No Win No Fee basis if liability is denied with one of our solicitors at Advice. This is enabled through a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), which allows you to pursue compensation and access high-quality legal support without paying service fees throughout the claim, including:
- Before the legal process begins
- During the claim
- If you are not awarded compensation
If your claim succeeds, our solicitors take a limited success fee from the compensation as a legally capped percentage. This is explained from the outset, giving you clarity that you will receive the majority of your compensation.
Contact Us
Get in touch to find out how to connect with one of our personal injury solicitors:
- Call on 0161 509 2856.
- Contact us online.
- Message our team on live chat.
More Information
Here are some of our other published guides:
- Information on personal injury claim time limits.
- Our guide on how to claim for a loss of earnings.
- Details on needing a medical assessment after claiming compensation.
You can also read some of these articles:
- Information from the government on vehicle insurance.
- Guidance from the government on employers’ liability insurance.
- Details from the Financial Ombudsman on complaining about an insurance company.
Thank you for reading our guide on, ‘What can I do if an insurance company has denied liability?’
