Accidental Lapse in Car Insurance

UsOrThem

I have just found my car has been uninsured for months when looking to supply policy docs for a parking permit. It was a genuine mistake and I’m mortified that it’s happened and amazed I haven’t suffered any repercussions.
To rectify the situation, I immediately got new cover last night, however now I’m looking into the situation more I think my new policy may be invalidated as I wasn’t insuring an ‘insured car’. Although I can find information on the Continuous Insurance Enforcement wording of the Road traffic act stating I HAVE to be insured continually, I can’t find any info on what to do if I haven’t been!
Ultimately I know I’m going to have to broach it with the insurer but I just want to play my cards right so ideally they don't bump up their premium and I can carry on without negative impact and not be considered a high-risk driver.
Does anyone know if you can backdate payment to cover missed insurance cover or has anyone had any similar experience and rectified it without impact on their insurance premium?

Thanks

debtdebt

Personally, I think you!!!8217;ll be ok.

Not sure about the term you quote about insuring an insured car?? Surely if you!!!8217;re insuring a car, it won!!!8217;t be insured hence the requirement for needing to insure it otherwise it would be doubly insured.

Arklight

Do you mean the no claims bonus? That!!!8217;s valid for 2 years.

You don!!!8217;t have to have car insurance as long as the vehicle is parked on private land (e.g. your driveway). It!!!8217;s liability insurance for public highways. If I were you I wouldn!!!8217;t volunteer any information to say you!!!8217;ve been driving without insurance.

Merlin139

I have had my Motorbike not insured for 5 months over a winter when it was parked up in my garage. I SORNed it and then when I was ready to ride it again applied for insurance. I wrongly cancelled my insurance that year.

Went back to the same insurer for it and they did not have a problem. What I do now is just tell the insurance company that I will not be riding it and SORN it to get my TAX back.

As has been said if its off the road and on private land it does not have to be insured. Although if its nicked then you will get nothing for it. Same as if it catches fire. Say nothing and don't worry about it.

I also forgot to MOT my bike for 9 months one year. Only took it out about 6 times but if I had been ANPR'd then it would have cost me. I now have reminders set for Insurance, MOT and TAX.

UsOrThem

Thanks for the input. I think in my haste I'd misinterpreted a policy wording that referred to the 'insured vehicle' and assumed they'd only take on the risk covering the car on the basis that it had been legally covered previously (or SORN'd). I've been through the wording in more detail and researched online and no one mentions insurance companies spotting and making an issue about gaps in coverage.

System

No you're fine. Any ramifications will come from ANPR catching you driving uninsured but you would have heard about that by now.

takman

UsOrThem wrote: »

Thanks for the input. I think in my haste I'd misinterpreted a policy wording that referred to the 'insured vehicle' and assumed they'd only take on the risk covering the car on the basis that it had been legally covered previously (or SORN'd). I've been through the wording in more detail and researched online and no one mentions insurance companies spotting and making an issue about gaps in coverage.

When i had a vehicle uninsured for a few months last year then insured it again they sent me an email asking some questions about the gap in insurance cover. They wanted to know if it had a SORN, where it was kept, to confirm it wasn't driven on a public road in that time etc.
They didn't ask for any proof of the SORN or anything else and from the questions they were most concerned about any potential claims during the uninsured period.

UsOrThem

ah, Cheers - that's really helpful insight. Had it been SORN? As I suppose they would be able to check themselves so wouldn't need proof.

UsOrThem

So the outcome was (for reference for anyone else)....
I took out a new policy, new insurer contacted me after a month as said they couldn't find proof of my no claims and had found I'd had a lapse in cover. As such my premium went up to reflect both.
Being really annoyed I emailed compare the market who said they had confirmation that the initial policy 'had' been taken out because the purchase was confirmed by the isurer within their database. With this info I then fought hard with the insurer, first central who ended up 'finding' my policy meaning I'd been double covered! with very little appology I got my money refunded and now have to fight with my current insurer to have my no claims reinstated and premium reduced accordingly.

wgl2014

When I have changed insurers I have always had to supply proof of no claims, it's not for the provider to go digging on your behalf.

How did you not realise you had taken out two policies?

UsOrThem

you'll see from the beginning of the thread that I had an issue of believing i was covered as I had completed a transaction on compare the market, i then was told I was not covered by my insurer...which later turned out to be incorrect... hence having two policies!