help! accident after insurance company cancelled insurance by mistake

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  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 4,789
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    What utter bollards !!. If the Insurers made a mistake cancelling the policy from the wrong date, they can resolve this. All they need to do is speak to their IT people and they will reinstate the record, so it can be cancelled from the correct date. I have experience of working in Insurance and IT, so know companies can do this if they are have to. Or there will be a manual workaround solution e.g. system endorsement.

    Suggest that you speak to a team leader or manager at the Insurers to get the cancellation date corrected. You never know there could be hidden CCTV camera that he had not noticed. When you speak to Insurers explain that you have taken advice and do not want the risk of having had the car on the road uninsured due an error by the Insurers. e.g the car could have been picked up on a speed camera without your knowledge.
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
  • foddleboop
    foddleboop Posts: 9 Forumite
    Spoken to them again and they said that the system couldn't be altered however that it is completely their fault and if I had been picked up by number plate recognition tech they would advise police that this was administrative error on their part and that the car was covered during the 2-3 hr gap.
  • Morph4610
    Morph4610 Posts: 177
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    I think they're making the point that they can't physically produce a document which backdates cover BUT NOT that you weren't insured. I'd be really open and honest with them about the accident. Which company are we talking about by the way?
  • real1314
    real1314 Posts: 4,432 Forumite
    foddleboop wrote: »
    Spoken to them again and they said that the system couldn't be altered however that it is completely their fault and if I had been picked up by number plate recognition tech they would advise police that this was administrative error on their part and that the car was covered during the 2-3 hr gap.

    What about the poor sod who's car's been scraped?

    You need to tell the police what happened, tell the insurance what happened and get onto the Financial Ombudsman for advice on what the Insurance Co need to do to sort things out.

    The funny things is, that your hubby didn't know the insurnace was cancelled when he left the scene, without a care for the other person's car. Hmm. :cool:
  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 4,789
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    Some won't agree with this, but I will post anyway.

    Yes he made a mistake not leaving his details and he could fess up, but I am not sure this would be a good idea. What is he going to do, go into a Police station to report the information, just in the hope the other driver has or will contact the Police, so they don't lose out. I am not sure how the Police will treat this admission. Or he could tell the car park people, so they can pass on his details, so the Police are not involved.

    On the other had he could just remain oblivous to what happened and deal with the matter when and if it rears its ugly head. If there is no CCTV or witness, I am not sure how he would be found.

    I know what I would do in this situation, which I will keep to myself.
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
  • vaio
    vaio Posts: 12,287
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    foddleboop wrote: »
    Spoken to them again and they said that the system couldn't be altered however that it is completely their fault and if I had been picked up by number plate recognition tech they would advise police that this was administrative error on their part and that the car was covered during the 2-3 hr gap.

    That’s the crucial bit, he was covered and the insurance company will confirm this (so no conviction for driving without insurance) and pay any claims during (so no need to pay out of your own pocket for the damage)

    All hubby needs to do now is the right thing and do his best to get in touch with the owner of the car he damaged either by revisiting the car park etc or, if that doesn’t work in the next 24 hours, by reporting it to the police.
  • foddleboop
    foddleboop Posts: 9 Forumite
    Just to update
    real1314; My husband suffers from an anxiety condition and he did blindly panic. He did not leave the scene without a care- he returned home in a total tizzy. He did inspect the damage on the other persons car before he left and thought it was not that bad. I do understand that it sounds suspicious- I thought so too! However he really is just prone to panic. We were selling the car today which added to his state of confusion. It was also a 98 ford fiesta so hardly someone's band new fancy lexus. The scratch on our car has disappeared after a quick polish so the whole thing is not as bad as you seem to imply.
    We went back to car park today and asked if if anyone had mentioned their car being scraped yesterday- no. We left our phone number but if nothing is heard in a few days I imagine all is well. To be honest if it was my 98 ford fiesta with a scratch I probably wouldn't bother!
  • vaio
    vaio Posts: 12,287
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    foddleboop wrote: »
    Just to update
    real1314; My husband suffers from an anxiety condition and he did blindly panic. He did not leave the scene without a care- he returned home in a total tizzy. He did inspect the damage on the other persons car before he left and thought it was not that bad. I do understand that it sounds suspicious- I thought so too! However he really is just prone to panic. We were selling the car today which added to his state of confusion. It was also a 98 ford fiesta so hardly someone's band new fancy lexus. The scratch on our car has disappeared after a quick polish so the whole thing is not as bad as you seem to imply.
    We went back to car park today and asked if if anyone had mentioned their car being scraped yesterday- no. We left our phone number but if nothing is heard in a few days I imagine all is well. To be honest if it was my 98 ford fiesta with a scratch I probably wouldn't bother!

    What a horrible post, it manages nasty, arrogant & pathetic all in one go.

    You damaged someone else’s car and should put it right, not squirm & try and justify it on the grounds “OH was tizzy” or “it was only an old fiesta”. If he stopped to inspect the damage he should have taken the number or even, perish the thought, left a note on the windscreen like any decent person would have done

    Utterly pathetic and you should be ashamed
  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 4,789
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    vaio wrote: »
    What a horrible post, it manages nasty, arrogant & pathetic all in one go.

    You damaged someone else’s car and should put it right, not squirm & try and justify it on the grounds “OH was tizzy” or “it was only an old fiesta”. If he stopped to inspect the damage he should have taken the number or even, perish the thought, left a note on the windscreen like any decent person would have done

    Utterly pathetic and you should be ashamed

    Not a very nice post vaio. If you have ever known anyone with a diagnosed anxiety condition or other mental health condition, you will understand why your post is so wrong.

    I tend to take peoples word for it, rather than take the typical 'Daily Mail' readers line on such issues. If I have proof to the contrary that it is just an excuse, I change my mind.
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
  • vaio
    vaio Posts: 12,287
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    Diagnosed anxiety condition or other mental health condition isn't going to make the poor sap who got his car damaged feel any better.

    If the MH condition results in not being able deal with the simple normal stresses of driving them maybe the answer is stop driving before you come across some stressful situation where your inability to cope results in someone getting hurt.

    That not withstanding, and even if I accept that MH issues is an excuse for the initial panic and run away, there really is no excuse for not reporting it to the police now which, as well as being legally required, would also maximise the chances of the fiesta owner being traced and getting his car fixed.

    Who knows, maybe he would say “don’t worry about it, it’s only an old fiesta” but that’s for him to say, not the OP
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