Always check your insurance......

[mekworld]

Thought I would post my woeful tale so you all might take note:

In october my brother went on holiday and gave me his car keys to get the lights sorted on his MX5, now being a lowly little Punto driver I thought this was great. Got the lights sorted at the garage and paid for it as a nice little thank yuo to my bro for being so trusting (ironic part number 1).

Next day I took my misses for a drive, no sooner had I left the house got to the first roundabout to turn left, lost the backend and straight into a lamp post writing the car off. I'm putting this down to my first experience of a rear wheel drive car as oppose to excessive speed because I didn't floor it or anything.

Lo and behold two police officers were on the scene on their bikes. So they witnessed the entire thing.

A day or two later the officer rings me up to check so he could come round and pick up the documents. "No problem" I said, and went to gather them.

Now this is where it gets interesting, managed to get hold of my brother who was on holiday to ask him for his insurance. "What do you my details for, your covered aren't you?".

And my reply "urm nope, thought I was covered on yours.". Since I was fully comp on mine he thought I was automatically 3rd party covered. Oh dear!

Rang up my insurance people and they stated I wasn't covered.

So being the honest guy I am, I contact the police man explained the situation and he came over.

Now basically there was three pretty crappy choices for my story...
1) My bro gave me permission, I get done for driving without insurance and he gets aiding and abetting for not checking out my insurance. (Huge cautionary note here for those who let other people drive their cars on occasion).
2) I bought the car the morning of the accident. I get done for driving without insurance.
3) I took the car without consent.. uhm huge no no I don't want a TWOK record thanks.

So because I had caused my brother so much grief already it was only the second option I could go for.

Time passes, I get the form tick the box pleading guilty and off it goes for court to pass verdict.
£200 and 6 points on my license.

I inform my insurance about the 6 points, and leave it at that.

This morning I find a letter from my insurance company with my new insurance documentation. Lo and behold whats on the new one but "covered for driving with owners permission", I had a good laugh and though how ironic so I rang them to find out why it was only just now added.

"Oh because you turned 25, because you were 24 on your last policy you didn't get it". So I explained I had just got done for the IN10 offence to the gentlemen on the phone who then turns around and says "Well you were 25 when the offence was committed, but because it wasnt on your initial policy its up to us whether we would cover you." After speaking to his superior it was noted upon the policy that they would have considered my covered in case I would try to appeal the "Driving without insurance" verdict.

Which is pretty pointless now because of my story being I bought the car, I wouldn't be able to appeal anyway unless I changed my story to the actual truth which is another offence.

Morale of the story, always check with your insurance company before driving a car and if you get stuck never take the first guys opinion of whether your covered or not before making your story.

Thanks for reading............

[Howard]

Always check your insurance

Well yeah that goes without saying..

[Nemeliza]

Well thats got to suck!

On a ligher note, no one was hurt and you wont do it again.

[Nemeliza]

/ignore

[TeePee]

He can't get done for aiding and abetting. He has no obligation to ensure you are law abiding.

Another moral here: Always tell the truth!

[davidstone28]

What a bummer!

Here's another tale. Years ago, I had to a client went to a dinner party in his car and had a few too many drinks. One of the guys at the dinner party offers to drive him home. The client takes up the offer as he doesn't want to get done for drink driving. On the way back, this guy crashes into a top of range Jaguar travelling in the opposite direction severely damaging both cars. The police come and take details etc. My client's insurance company subsequently tell him that he isn't covered because the policy doesn't cover accidents where the person driving isn't the insured person. The Jaguar driving sues my client for megabucks. He then tries to bring a 3rd party claim against the guy who drove his car, but guy has disappared and can't be found, leaving my client personally liable for damage to both cars.

[mekworld]

Originally Posted by TeePee

He can't get done for aiding and abetting. He has no obligation to ensure you are law abiding.

Another moral here: Always tell the truth!

According to both the Police Constible and our local specialist solicitor in Motoring offences, its the owners obligation to ensure that the driver of the vehicle is covered otherwise if the driver isn't covered then thats aiding and abetting the offence of driving without insurance.

Originally Posted by Nemeliza

Well thats got to suck!

On a ligher note, no one was hurt and you wont do it again.

Damn straight I won't be doing it again. What I thought was extremely worrying was the number of people I talked to (alot of people asked why I had a bandage on my head) who automatically presume that because your fully comp you are covered on third party on other cars.

Added to this a recent radio uhm whats the word discussion? stated that apparently Insurance Companies will also be pulling this feature due to some people abusing the facility i.e. getting 3rd party cover on something pretty zippy when they drive a clapped out fiesta with fully comp.

I am extremely thankful that nobody was hurt it could as they say have been alot worse, and I'm also extremely thankful for a brother who didn't give a toss about the car as long as I was ok.

@Davidstone.

Thats is indeed a much sorrier tale than mine.

[TeePee]

Originally Posted by mekworld

According to both the Police Constible and our local specialist solicitor in Motoring offences, its the owners obligation to ensure that the driver of the vehicle is covered otherwise if the driver isn't covered then thats aiding and abetting the offence of driving without insurance.

Nope.

[Funkstar]

I know for a fact that i'm not insured third party on any other vehicles though Elephant, that is why one reason they are cheaper than the likes of Direct Line. A friend at work recently discovered they weren't insured on a couple of friends cars because of this. Fortunitely they didn't have an accident or anything, was just looking through their paperwork. Stands to reason there has to be a difference in the cover if the insurance is half the price (or less in my case).

[Rave]

Yeah, but my TPFT policy with Admiral gives me cover to drive other cars, and they're all part of the same company- having been insured with both Admiral and Elephant I'm pretty sure their T&Cs are all but identical. I think you just have to be 25 or over to get the DOC cover.

[Funkstar]

Actually you might be right there, i'll have to check. Been with them for a couple of years and i know i wasn't covered before, maybe i am now.....

[hitman67]

I know mine (Admiral) gives me 3rd party on any car but full on my own machine, it's a useful feature, plus there cheap an'all

[[GSV]Trig]

My old insurance was covering me for driving other peoples cars even tho I was TPFT yet my new one doesnt, still due for renewal at te end of next month...

[dkmech]

When I was renewing in August i specifically asked for third party cover on other cars even though i wasn't 25 for a month and i only had tpff insurance on my car. And I got it too . Just never assume you have something unless its written down.

[kalniel]

Yup I'm covered with elephant, but I took out the policy when I was over 25.

[Rave]

I was going to pay the extra £70ish to get fully comp last time I renewed but when I double checked with the guy on the phone at Admiral that the fully comp would have DOC cover he told me that the TPFT had DOC cover as well (effectively reducing the value of his sale by £70- sound guy!).