Car insurance help (blind in one eye after operation)

mikewill53

Hi,
Quick question, Ive recently had an operation on one of my eyes and I'll be temporarily blind in one eye for about a month. Do I have to inform my insurance company?
Regards
Mik

McKneff

Give them a ring and ask them, not sure whether you also need to inform DVLC too

mikey72

The criteria for informing the dvla is here

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@motor/documents/digitalasset/dg_065298.pdf

If you have to notify the dvla, you are obliged to notify your insurers.

If you don't meet the criteria for informing the dvla, you should still notify your insurer, purely for information though.

InsideInsurance

You should notify them but on the basis the Disability Discrimination Act prohibits them from loading your premiums it is unlikely that any claim could be rejected. The DVLA are the ones that set the terms on if your fit to drive or not.

vaio

I was tending towards not telling the insurance unless it was notifiable as far as DVLC are concerned as I could just see the reaction of the call centre operator, “blind in one eye? Cancel the insurance! or at least a significant premium hike”

But that’s a very good point about DDA, well spotted

mikey72

InsideInsurance wrote: »

You should notify them but on the basis the Disability Discrimination Act prohibits them from loading your premiums it is unlikely that any claim could be rejected. The DVLA are the ones that set the terms on if your fit to drive or not.

The DDA act doesn't apply if the insurer has data to show you are a higher risk, rather than load arbitrarily as a disability.

They can charge you to ammend the policy, or cancel your insurance if you no longer match their criteria.

And we all know how free the underwriters are with their data.

vaio

mikey72 wrote: »

The DDA act doesn't apply if the insurer has data to show you are a higher risk, rather than load arbitrarily as a disability.

They can charge you to ammend the policy, or cancel your insurance if you no longer match their criteria.

And we all know how free the underwriters are with their data.

That’s interesting because I don’t think the same applies to the risk data regarding gender.

Seems strange there are one set of rules re discrimination of disability grounds and another for discrimination on gender grounds.

Still leaning towards not telling them assuming it doesn’t breach the T&C and the medics and dvlc are happy

InsideInsurance

I have never gone and read the explicit wording of the relevant legislation but certainly many moons ago I was told by the lead underwriter of a very large motor insurer they couldn't price on it because of the DDA as I was running a project on if we should remove the question from the internet and call centre. As we couldnt rate on it we removed it as it was a waste of time asking.

If you go onto any aggregator site (eg confused.com) they ask the question but if you select Yes, DVLA informed, it doesnt ask you to specify the condition which if they were rating on it you'd expect them to.

It could well be that for Motor that it simply isnt worth the effort of trying to rate for different conditions given the hurdle is fairly high for proof that you are not discriminating rather than an actual legal statement that you cant.

mikey72

I have been asked the question, and I know of other who have had to answer yes.
Some insurers don't discriminate regardless, some policies I have only state you must hold the correct licence, and drive within the terms and conditions imposed by the dvla (if any). One even has DOC cover, with the proviso that if your car has to be modifed, any other car you drive must be also modifed, but they don't need to be informed.

Some decline to quote depending on what the answer is.

I would say it is treated exactly as gender rating. That was always based on gathered data, and has took specific legislation to correct.
The DDA (as far as I'm aware) doesn't stop insurers assessing risk based on specific information they have.

I think the bottom line is if you have been asked in the quote, it's probaly expected you declare it, if you've not been asked, it would still be wise to advise them.

I would argue if they increased the price though, quoting the DDA, and see how they justify it.

Yorkie1

The DDA won't apply in these particular circumstances. It only relates to (paraphrased) conditions that have a long-term effect. Something which is of temporary 1-month duration doesn't fit the criteria.

vaio

that seems counter intuitive to me in that it seems it would be lawful to load the premium of the OP who is half blind for a month but unlawful to load the premium of my dads mate Jim who has a glass eye