Car Insurance & Ill Health

silverelephant

Hi everyone

Sorry if this is in the wrong place - feel free to move it!

A colleague of mine is in the process of being diagnosed with Sleep Apnoea(sp) and is really worried about how it will affect her car insurance. When she attended a recent sleep clinic another patient told her not to inform her insurance company as it would end up costing her hundreds, if not a thousand in extra premiums. :eek:

Just wondered if anyone had any experience of this - or if anyone worked for a car insurance company and could advise.

She is really worried about the consequences of NOT telling the insurance company but at the same time, if the premiums are going to rise so much, she won't be able to afford the insurance.

Look forward to hearing your advice

L x

FlameCloud

She would have to declare any material facts relevent to the risk of the insured.

So yes, basically.

Anything else is Fraud, no matter how you dress it up.

Sagaris

If she suffers that badly with sleep apnoea should she really be driving in the first place? She could kill herself, let alone anyone else she runs into.

dauphin

First step must be to discuss with her consultant whether her condition means that she should not drive, and whether it needs to be disclosed to the DVLA.
If she is medically fit to hold a licence I don't think her premium will be loaded and indeed most car insurance proposals ask only if there are any serious medical conditions that have NOT been declared to the DVLA, so once a condition has been declared and DVLA have accepted it, the insurance company is not really concerned.
If someone is passed as medically fit to drive, I believe the Disability Discrimination Act prevents insurance companies from treating them differently from anyone else.
Anyway, I'm no medical expert but sleep apnoea is a condition that occurs during a period of sleep, isn't it? It's not like narcolepsy, an overwhelming need to sleep? But definitely get the consultant's opinion on fitness to drive.

silverelephant

Thanks for your replies everyone.

My understanding is that the risk while driving is down to the fact that she may be overly tired from lack of sleep/disturbed sleep. Her consultant has said that she should be ok to drive and only advised that if she is feeling exceptionally tired don't drive or pull over if already driving.

I'll pass these comments on to her and will suggest she comes on here herself as she will be better able to ask and answer any relevant questions.

Thanks for your time

L x

dauphin

I've just noticed the guidance on the DVLA website :

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/MedicalRulesForDrivers/DG_4022415

and if you follow the appropriate links on that there is a special questionnaire for notifying sleep disorders (including apnoea).
http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&dID=88509&Rendition=Web

I guess your friend will have to go through that process.

olly300

dauphin wrote: »

If someone is passed as medically fit to drive, I believe the Disability Discrimination Act prevents insurance companies from treating them differently from anyone else.
.

Unfortunately the Disability Discrimination Act like the Sex Discrimination Act does not apply to insurance.

Insurance companies are allowed to load your quote if you have a illness or a disability.

raskazz

olly300 wrote: »

Unfortunately the Disability Discrimination Act like the Sex Discrimination Act does not apply to insurance.

Insurance companies are allowed to load your quote if you have a illness or a disability.

The Disability Discrimination Act does apply to insurance actually. The Act does not state that insurers cannot load premiums as a result of illness/disability; the effect it does have is that the insurer must prove that the risk is statistically higher as a result of the medical condition if they wish to load the premium as a result of the illness/disability. The evidence required would be actuarial data, medical studies and so on.

Most motor insurers will not bother with all this though, and only ask that the DVLA have been informed and have agreed to the driver holding a licence (if the condition is 'notifiable' to the DVLA). If the DVLA has agreed, then premiums will not usually be loaded.

red61

Hi,
I have today been for a medical to do with my incapacity claim. However the doctor was most interested in the fact that I had not informed my car insurers of my fibromyalgia. In fact he made a note of it on my forms which I found strange as it has no bearing on my incapacity claim. Has anyone been penalised with their car insurance for having fibromyalgia. Or has anyone who has fiibromyalgia notified their insurers and had a good response.
(first time of using this, so hope it is posted correctly, thanks)
I am now concerned that I maybe fined as I did not tell them when I was diagnosed over 12 months ago.

dacouch

Did the doctor advise you to inform the DVLA of the condition? Your Insurers will want to know if it should be notified to the DVLA and if the DVLA have applied any terms to your licence.

red61

The doctor made a note on the forms for incapacity that I had not informed myinsurers. He said to me "Don't you think you should inform them" I was concerned that something that no bearing on my incapacity claim had been put on the form. I guess I will just have to phone my insurers and see what they say. I do not have a letter or evidence of the fibromyalgia, however I guess a letter from my GP would be sufficient. Just hope they dont hike up my premium.
Was hoping some other fibro sufferers may have already experienced this and could give some advice.