“But I thought I was covered!”
Car Insurance. We all know it’s a legal requirement, though most of us have it not because the law requires it but because we want it there for peace of mind – for the ‘just in case’ situation – that’s why we pay for Fully Comprehensive Cover instead of just the 3rd Party Cover the law requires.
So what happens if you find out that you’re not covered?
For most people once they discover an issue with their policy it’s too late and they are charged – but that’s not to say that it’s too late for help.
The penalty for Driving without Insurance is 6-8 points and up to a £1,000 fine – so what can you do to avoid this?
Check your policy cover. Price comparison websites are brilliant, but it’s important to remember that the cover they are quoting for may not be identical.
We were recently contacted by a client whose previous policy (business) allowed him to drive any other vehicle with the owner’s consent with 3rdparty cover. At renewal time he decided to save a few pounds and changed providers, not realising that the new policy did not offer the same level of cover. Unfortunately this only came to light when he was stopped by the police and charged with Driving without Insurance. An expensive lesson to learn.
Check your bank statements. Not many of us can afford to pay the increasingly high premiums in one lump sum every year and take advantage of the option to spread the premiums out across the year. Unfortunately this can mean that a missed payment suspends your cover so it’s important to take time each month to make sure that those direct debits have gone through. If in doubt contact your Insurer.
But what if it’s not your responsibility? What if someone else sorts out the Insurance? Then you might have a defence to driving without insurance.
Driving without Insurance is, in many ways, quite a Black & White issue – you either are insured or you’re not. However there is a little known ‘Grey’ area – when you have been misled into believing you were insured. You cannot assume that cover is in place – that is insufficient – but if you can show that you were led to believe that cover was in place then that could be enough to persuade the courts not to impose any further penalties.
If you think this could apply to you then give our offices a call on 01623 397200 and our team would be happy to have an informal, free chat with you about your situation and advise you further.
