insured driver, uninsured car accident, advice sought

Nilrem

Lum wrote: »

The thing that surprises me is that the dealer even let you drive off the forecourt without showing them proof of insurance. Last car I bought off a dealer I had to either produce an insurance certificate for the car or get the insurance company to contact the dealer directly. Dealers can get into a lot of trouble for letting you drive uninsured.
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That surprises me as well, as the dealership is normally very reluctant to let people drive off with a car that the haven't seen proof of insurance for (IIRC they can be held partially liable for allowing it to happen by the law).

Same with the taxing, iirc for a tax disc to be issued the car must have valid insurance.

As has already been mentioned, does the dealership offer free 5 days insurance or anything? (although I suspect it would have had to have been arranged at the time of buying the car).

raskazz

vaio wrote: »

As you are fully comp on the old car your insurance will pay for the damage to both cars irrespective of your wife’s insurance status.

No, it's not that simple. As I mentioned earlier in the thread the liability to third parties section of a motor insurance policy always excludes damage to property owned by or in the custody or control of anyone claiming under the policy. If the new car is the OP's property rather than his wifes', damage to it will not be covered by the policy for the 'old' vehicle.

jessbob

mealone wrote: »

For 3rd party cover on my insurance to drive someone elses car that car must have insurance, its in the small print of my policy and I have seen it on the policies I have taken out with other companies in previous years as well.

You might have a claim againt the garage because they must by law see evidence of insurance to tax the car and in preowned cars you must also prove you are insured before they allow you to drive away.

This is true. the dealer must see insurance cover before the car is taken away.

cajef

Sirbendy wrote: »

I have to say..how can you blame the fact it's an auto..they're a doddle to drive!

Agreed, I drive both manual and auto, but from the OP's initial post it sounds very much like she had not driven an auto before and was used to a manual, from the way she stopped it looks like she stamped on the brake with her left foot as you would to put the clutch in, however he was obviously too close as he rear ended her after her 'emergency stop'.:shocked:

loofer

get your wife to o to a personal injury/accident claims co, they're knocking about everywhere . She will need to report incident to police too. They can help your wife claim for damages caused by the insured 3rd party i.e. You

Takoda

You only need to report an accident to the Police if someone is injured. The insurance will not ask you for any kind of report from the Police/crime number or anything.

The way I see it is that as you hit her - YOU are responsible so the repairs should come from the insurance held on your old car.

Lum

cajef wrote: »

Agreed, I drive both manual and auto, but from the OP's initial post it sounds very much like she had not driven an auto before and was used to a manual, from the way she stopped it looks like she stamped on the brake with her left foot as you would to put the clutch in, however he was obviously too close as he rear ended her after her 'emergency stop'.:shocked:

Most people do this at least once the first time they get into an auto. I know I did. I'd just bought it and happened to pick up a trade plater hitchhiking down the road from the dealer. Made this mistake on approach to the next set of lights and he said "You've only just bought this, haven't you?"

Sirbendy

My mother did the opposite...borrowed my auto, got out to lock a gate in a field, left it in drive...

Off it tootled..across the field, through a patch of cows with the door waving goodbye, and parked itself happily in the hedge. She was mortified. :rotfl:"My car never does that"...

I've also (:o) run MYSELF over with my own car...I have lower body strength issues and lots of surgery addons to that...I'd got my car in Drive, handbrake on loosely so I could hold it back with one hand..then as I walked in front of it, my knee dislocated and I went down..as I was lying there, it went from "FOOK! That hurts.." to "oh!!!!!!, the car's moving.."

My neighbour came over and shut it off/pushed it off me after he heard me shouting/laughing "ARGH! Someone get this thing off me"..it was very gently but insistently trying to run over my arm and all that was sticking out the front of it was my head. :rotfl:

cajef

Of course the opposite applies when people go back to a manual from an auto and forget to put the clutch in to change gear or stop and promptly crash the gears or stall the engine.:rotfl:

Sirbendy

I drove mums focus with her in the passenger seat...

1st-5th went fine..slowing down, I fluffed it..5th, 4th, 2nd, 1st...BOY did the engine scream for a bit there.

I'll say this for the Zetec..they hang on..:D Comments along the lines of "poxy 18th century damned manual gearboxes" were heard quite a bit.