Car accident, not my fault, breaking the rules in my policy...

[EmigrantUK]

Good evening and Welcome everyone,

Sorry if same problem was here, and again I opened new thread, but didn't see same problem.
Please for advice

One month ago, had accident, not my fault, everyone agreed with this,in my insurance policy was information about "just social communicate"
I said "I was driving to work".

The company of the second driver said will not give me any money, and they will charge me for the costs of service, paper work, giving replace car etc.
Can I do something?

I'm agreed with my mind, probably can't do something and need to pay for everything, also will not get any money for my car...

Thank you for all help

[echat11]

Hi Emigrantuk

Welcome to LB

Is the following correct?

a) You had a accident,

b) the other driver admits fault,

c) you believe your policy only covers 'social commute'

d) the other driver's insurance company wants you to pay all costs.

Who is your insurance with?

Can you take a 'screenshot' of the policy where it says "just social communicate"? (I know you mean commute)

How did you take the policy out?

[Pezza54]

If OP's policy covers social, domestic, pleasure and commute, then OP is covered for driving back and forth to a single daily place of work
OP stated they were driving to work, so they should be covered and should make a claim with their insurance company
OP should be able to recover any excess that they have to pay if the accident was not their fault

[EmigrantUK]

Hi Emigrantuk

Welcome to LB

Is the following correct?

a) You had a accident,

b) the other driver admits fault,

c) you believe your policy only covers 'social commute'

d) the other driver's insurance company wants you to pay all costs.

Who is your insurance with?

Can you take a 'screenshot' of the policy where it says "just social communicate"? (I know you mean commute)

How did you take the policy out?

Thank you for answer


a) Yes

b) Yes, even Police and second driver company agreed it wasn't my fault

c)No, unfortunately, my insurance was "only social"

d)Yes I had in "Go Skippy" but when they heard about I was driving to work, they cancelled my insurance...

I bought police on the website, not remember website but probably "confused.com"

[PallasAthena]

Unfortunately the permitted use in that policy wording specifically EXCLUDES "travelling to and from a place of employment or study". So your insurer will not get involved.

However that is not a reason why the other driver's insurer should refuse to pay your claim against the other driver.

If you are confident that the accident was not your fault then refuse to pay anything to the other driver's insurance company and see if they try to take you to court.

And if you are sure it was the other driver's fault you could take them to court and sue them for the damage to your car.

You say the police attended the accident. You need to contact the police and get a copy of their report to use as evidence that you were not at fault.

But please bear in mind that because driving to work was not covered by your policy you were driving without insurance. That is a serious motoring offence and if the police find out and decide to prosecute you then you could be fined, get points on your driving licence, and it will be difficult and expensive to get insurance in the future.

[echat11]

Did you stop off at shops during your journey on that date / around that time?

This is quite interesting -

https://morayclaims.co.uk/why-you-mu...ers-commuting/

[Pezza54]

Please read the guide "Accident management companies - a comprehensive guide" at www.rac.co.uk

After reading the pros and cons about accident management companies you may wish to contact a company of this type to handle your claim

[PallasAthena]

Did you stop off at shops during your journey on that date / around that time?

This is quite interesting -

https://morayclaims.co.uk/why-you-mu...ers-commuting/

The insurers in that example appear to have ultimately accepted the claim because of their very poor customer service.

There's nothing in the insurers response that suggests they accepted the driver's assertion that as a matter of law as she had stopped midway between work and home to shop and have a coffee she was no longer commuting. They don't comment on that argument one way or the other.

I suspect any court decisions on this would be very fact-specific.

[echat11]

The insurers in that example appear to have ultimately accepted the claim because of their very poor customer service.

There's nothing in the insurers response that suggests they accepted the driver's assertion that as a matter of law as she had stopped midway between work and home to shop and have a coffee she was no longer commuting. They don't comment on that argument one way or the other.

I suspect any court decisions on this would be very fact-specific.

I should of caveated the following:- 'Did you stop off at shops during your journey on that date / around that time?', the question was totally independent of the link below it.

Say the OP was on his way to work, but stopped to do some shopping then had his accident? so as you say it's 'very fact-specific'. But that's for the 'insurers' to 'unravel', I'd also add that the OP's first language might not be in English, so was probably 'lost in translation'.

[PallasAthena]

It's hard to see how travelling from a shop he had stopped at to his place of work isn't within the exclusion of "travelling to and from a place of employment". The journey from the shop to workplace would have no other purpose. Exclusion doesn't apply only to journeys beginning from home.

I agree OP's screen name suggests English is not his first language but I don't know that will help OP in his current situation.

I have some concern that in attempting to resolve the accident damage claim OP might inadvertently bring to the police's attention the potential driving without insurance offence.

[echat11]

It's hard to see how travelling from a shop he had stopped at to his place of work isn't within the exclusion of "travelling to and from a place of employment". The journey from the shop to workplace would have no other purpose. Exclusion doesn't apply only to journeys beginning from home.

I agree OP's screen name suggests English is not his first language but I don't know that will help OP in his current situation.

I have some concern that in attempting to resolve the accident damage claim OP might inadvertently bring to the police's attention the potential driving without insurance offence.

The insurance application would have asked certain questions, that may have thrown up that the OP was from overseas, so the insurer could have aided the OP's understanding of the policy better at the application stage.

[PallasAthena]

That's a novel duty for insurers! I can't see the courts going far down that line.

[echat11]

That's a novel duty for insurers! I can't see the courts going far down that line.

I didn't say anything about the Courts, however insurers generally (this is a US link) could easily help, so there is more 'understanding' -

https://www.insurancethoughtleadersh...ims-challenges

[PallasAthena]

I think this thread is going off track....

[EmigrantUK]

Thank you everyone for help

Yes, my first language is Polish, not English, but it was my fault, because when I bought insurance for this car, I was working 1.5 miles from my house, and it was spring, so I was cycling to work, because like cycling and sport.
Later changed work and forget about insurance, my fault !

Accident was 200 meters from my house, and I wasn't at shop etc. I thought probably this information can't change anything...

I agree with my mistake abut travel to work, was my fault, and don't care about money for car, but I'm angry because insurance company didn't correct checked my insurance policy, and gave me replace car. They said everything will be for FREE, and next day I got information about cancel my policy, because I was driving to work etc.

When I wrote this post I thought about not need to pay for replace car and all paper work, but THANK YOU so much for information, that police can be interested my driving without insurance...
So probably, I will pay for everything and will be silent, because don't want problems for future

Thank you everyone for help !