You could also receive a Summons through the post. There are two variations of summons you are liable to receive (for my dear readers in Scotland, this part applies to English Law but similar actions happen in Scotland- A summons to answer a criminal case e.g. careless or dangerous driving in the magistrates court (or Crown Court if the charge is very grave such as causing death by dangerous driving)- A county court 'claim form' (or possibly a writ from the high court) seeking payment of 'damages' in a civil action.In either case, send this immediately to your insurance company. They will look at it to see what claims are made in the summons and decide what action to take. They might appoint (and pay for) a solicitor to defend you or if it is a civil matter, they might just decide to admit guilt and to pay up rather than take the case through the courts with the possibility of considerable costs being awarded against them should they fail to win the case. If you feel the need to talk to your insurance company, please do so but do not let it stop you passing on the Summons. That would be the worst thing you could do. There are strict time limits in which action must be taken.This article was penned by Trevor Dace. He has many years of experience working as a claims adjuster with a number of UK insurance companies. His website http://www.instant-online-insurance.co.uk offers cheap online pet insurance with instant quotes and secure online payment.