Refused Insurance after (unintentionally) uninsured driving - help please!

lgregory2012

I really hope someone can offer some advice...
My husband had his own van insurance policy and I had my own car ins policy on which he was a named driver. In the belief that he was covered to drive any veh on his policy we decided to remove him from my policy to save money. One day when driving my car, a car swerved into the car and smashed the wing mirror. The other driver made off without stopping. We tracked her down and swapped details. I then immediately contacted my insurance company, diamond, and reported the accident (concerned that the other driver would not accept fault, seeing as she'd not even stopped at the scene).
Long story short, the other driver never reported the accident, and diamond closed our claim. They even put my husband back as a named driver. However at time of renewal they wrote to me saying they were refusing to insure me for the following year.
Having then been refused insurance I have struggled to find insurance and have been forced to go through a broker and paid a great deal more than I was previously.
I accept my husband was driving whilst uninsured, but it was not intentional and I wonder if there is anything that can be done in these circumstances, or will it stay with us forever?? We surely cannot be classed as the same as the many people out there who drive regularly and deliberately without insurance?
Help someone please?!

vax2002

This needs to be passed to the financial ombudsman, they had no insured interest in the incident so they must not interfere.
The ombudsman will make them back out of the hole.

lgregory2012

Thank you for your response. I had thought of contacting them but wasn't sure if it would fall within their remit.

If anyone else has experienced this I would be extremely grateful to hear how they dealt with the situation.

Looksguywalker

lgregory2012 wrote: »

Thank you for your response. I had thought of contacting them but wasn't sure if it would fall within their remit.

If anyone else has experienced this I would be extremely grateful to hear how they dealt with the situation.

Ignore vax2002 he/she frequently posts nonsense. The more knowledgeable guys in the insurance board will be better listened to.

George_Michael

This needs to be passed to the financial ombudsman, they had no insured interest in the incident so they must not interfere. The ombudsman will make them back out of the hole.

Yet another totally incorrect post by Vax2002.

The OP reported the accident to their insurers who then found that an uninsured driver was using the car concerned.
From that point on, they had every right to use the information received to base future policy premiums on, or to refuse cover in the future. They could also pass the details of what happened on to other insurance companies and if they wished, they could also have passed the info onto the police.

Whenever you take out an insurance policy, the company concerned will have a data protection policy giving your rights under the Data protection act & one of the clauses is something along the lines that you agree with them sharing your info.

We may exchange your information with other insurers, reinsurers or other carefully selected third parties in order to manage your policy and offer you the best possible service.

Even though it does sound like a totally honest mistake, driving without insurance is one of the few offences that is classed as an "absolute offence"

An absolute offence is one where there is no discretionary defence available, ie, the vehicle is either insured or it is not. If, for any reason it is not insured, the offence is committed.

And as the registered keeper of the vehicle, you could also be prosecuted for allowing your car to be driven uninsured.

If the police don't know about the accident, I wouldn't push too far with regards to the other driver not stopping as any investigation could impact both your husband and yourself.

roddydogs

How is it "Unintentional"? Did you not check with your insurance company first? or read the policy.?

molerat

Husband drove car uninsured.
OP allowed car to be driven uninsured.

What have the insurers done wrong ?

maninthestreet

So your husband's van insurance policy did not provide for 'driving other vehicles' ?

Foxy-Stoat_3

You will have to disclose the fact that you had a renewal refused for the duration, unfortunately you cannot change material facts. Failure to disclose this in the future will effect your insurance if you were to have a claim and the insurance company discovers this, they will void your policy and refuse a claim and then you may be prosecuted for no insurance. Unfortunately there will be no defense, even if you say that it was an innocent mistake, like you have done here.

If you were not prosecuted for aiding and abetting and your Husband got away with driving without insurance (by an innocent mistake or not) then you can give yourself a pat on the back as you have had a lucky escape and move on.

The fact that you removed your Husband from your car insurance to save money in the hope that he can drive other cars on his van insurance without reading his policy first is the other thing that you have done wrong.

There is a saying to "always read the small print!"