Driving with a plaster cast, insurance?

4Chickens

Hope you peeps can help.
Last week hubby, who is a self-employed commercial vehicle repairer, fell off the back of a lorry and fractured 3 bones in his right hand. He went to A&E and they put it in a splint. He's been to the fracture clinic today only to find out that one of the fractures is a spiral fracture and that he needs a cast on his hand. If he refuses the cast and continues with the splint then the chances are in a few weeks' time he will have to have surgery to have it pinned.
I have told him to get a cast put on it. Now the thing is his van is a manual and he has been told by the doctor that he cannot drive. I have an automatic car that I can let him use for a few weeks' while I use my companys' spare van.
Will he be insured to drive the automatic whilst having a cast on his hand and wrist?
Fortunately out 17yo lad has finished college and can help out with any work that needs doing, they just need to be able to get to the job.
Also, he has an accident insurance policy but I don't know the specifics that it covers etc. Anyone with any experience of claiming on a personl accident insurance? Any advice, experience or comments etc would be much appreciated.

Gloomendoom

If the doctor says he can't drive, he can't drive. It doesn't matter whether it is a manual or an automatic, cast or no cast.

I have been in the same situation myself. It was particularly awkward as I'd driven myself to the hospital. I argued the toss, telling them that I drove an automatic, but they wouldn't back down.

I would read the small print on your insurance policy, because I'm 99.9% certain that, in these circumstances, if he drives, he will be doing so without insurance.

10JH

My Father is self employed and a few years ago fractured his hand.

His insurance paid for a driver for him. So for a month he had a local taxi driver driving him everywhere he needed to go, all paid for under his policy.

Check his policy, hopefully the excess won't be too much!

4Chickens

Thanks for your quick responses. Under normal circumstances we wouldn't be too worried about the loss of earnings but we have just booked our holiday in September and part of the expense is to budget in the loss of two weeks' wages. Now, it seems that it is going to be extremely tight has we will be 3 weeks' short on wages before we even go. I am hoping that is private accident insurance with pay out for a proportion of his lost income. When he gets home from the hospital he is going to phone the insurance company and see what they. Thanks again

vaio

Given one armed people can drive un-modified autos (with maybe the addition of a steering wheel knob) I’d not see any problem.

I would however check with your insurance company. I suspect you will need to fight your way up the food chain past the “computer says no” call centre monkeys.

Wee_Willy_Harris

From the Doctors point of view, the advice given may well have been medically based. Driving may have an impact on his injury.

dacouch

10JH wrote: »

My Father is self employed and a few years ago fractured his hand.

His insurance paid for a driver for him. So for a month he had a local taxi driver driving him everywhere he needed to go, all paid for under his policy.

Check his policy, hopefully the excess won't be too much!

Your father was probably sensible enough to take out a Chaufeur Plan type policy which covers this type of incident and / or losing your licence following a ban from totting up

Hammyman

If he has an accident and it comes to light he has a cast and that the doctor advised not to drive, he'll be in a world of trouble.

skiddlydiddly

One of my best friends took(and passed) his test with a cast on his arm and my uncle only has one arm yet has driven like it for the past 40 years or so.

Wee_Willy_Harris

And was he under medical advice NOT to drive? I went to school with a guy who jumped from the Clifton Suspension Bridge and survived.... I'm in no way suggesting anybody else should try it.

rev_henry

Friend of mine had a cast on part of her hand I think it was, and her insurance documents simply said 'you're not insured if you drive with a cast on' regardless of where the cast was etc. That was Admiral; your company may be different.