Panicking about recent insurance claim

Alexjames92

Hello. I was travelling home from work on Wednesday evening and hitbintona concrete pike and wrote my car off (my fault and no other person involved). I contacted my insurers straight away (1st central finance) and explained what had happened. An hour or so later I received an email telling me that I need to have commuting on my policy as I was driving from work, but I don't. I never knew that I had to have this on my policy and if I did, then I'd have put it on there, it was just me being a bit thick or stupid when insuring my car. I have since rang them up and added it to my policy for when I next get a car I will have it on. I'm so worried that my case will be thrown out and I won't receive anything. Is there any chance of me still getting my payment? I'm so scared as I have a newborn at home who has a life threatening condition where we may suddenly need to take her to hospital but I won't be able to afford a new car without my insurance pay out. I've been in tears the past few days. I've been told the valuation of the car won't take place till later this week.
This is the email they sent:
"Dear Mr ########,

Thank you for reporting your incident to us.

I forgot to inform you that as you were travelling from work, you need commuting on your policy. I will inform customer services and they will be in contact.

Also, as you have had an incident involving a pole, a claim can potentially come in for the damage to that pole. So the third party team need to keep their claim open for 6 months to make sure.

Thanks for taking the time to tell us about what’s happened. We’ve got all the details we need to move things in the right direction, so don’t worry, you’re in safe hands.

We know that there’s a lot to take in when you make a claim and while we try to explain everything over the phone, sometimes it’s easier to digest things in your own time.

Unfortunately, your vehicle has been deemed a total loss. As your vehicle is not repairable we have arranged for our salvage agents at Copart to collect your vehicle. If you have any questions regarding the collection give them a call on #######££££££££. If you have any questions regarding the payment or valuation give the claims team a call on ########## they’re open Monday-Friday 09:00-18:00.


Kind regards

CH & TPPD
Claims Department

Any help or advice would be hugely appreciated

Alexjames92

I've just received read this, I hope people understand what I've put, I can't even spell properly with this worry!!

EdGasketTheSecond

Best to contact your insurers and see what they say; they are the ones who'll be paying the claim or not. Strictly speaking you were not covered for commuting so they probably are not going to pay you anything but I think they might be obliged to pay for third party damage to the pole, if any.

Alexjames92

What I don't understand, is why didn't they say in their email that my claim isn't valid? The accident happened 4 days ago, wouldn't an insurance company want to get rid of the vehicle ASAP if the case wasnt deemed to be satisfactory? I'm hoping that they will act on a case of goodwill and allow me to pay the difference of what I would have paid if I had commuting on my policy (I've had this current policy since April, so it'd have been around an extra £50-60 in total, which I'd happily pay now! I've added commuting onto my policy now so I'm covered in future. I'm so scared of what's going to happen! It was an honest mistake and there must be thousands of drivers who don't know about the commuting bit! I wasn't even going home from work, I was going to a friend's house first to take his Christmas card and present round!!

societys_child

What I don't understand, is why didn't they say in their email that my claim isn't valid?

Sounds like they did?

as you were travelling from work, you need commuting on your policy.

elsien

How did you take the insurance out? Were you not asked anywhere about what you needed it for?

Alexjames92

But then later in the email, it goes onto say that "I'm in safe hands, don't worry" and at the end mentions about how the car is a write off so will have to wait for the claims team to evaluate it etc. I haven't even had the call from their customer services that they said I'd get. I just don't know why they wouldn't just put something like "your insurance claim is invalid and you are unable to make a claim as you didn't have commuting on your policy, please arrange to retrieve your vehicle" or whatever. It's just all a bit strange

Alexjames92

Sorry I don't know how to quote on here! I took the insurance out on a price comparison site, so nothing was really explained to me and as may already be very clear, I'm not great with this kind of thing!

elsien

Ok, it's just that I'm looking at a price comparison site and it specifically asks if you want Social Domestic and Pleasure on its own or plus commuting.
I'm wondering whether, depending on the site you used, there's an argument to make that it's not clear. Although that may be clutching at straws a little.

ETA - at least there wasn't another driver involved which would have been much worse.

societys_child

They recovered your vehicle as per the policy, but it's been passed to another department who are obviously investigating.
You can't just buy the cover needed after the event. You'll have to await their decision.

societys_child

I took the insurance out on a price comparison site, so nothing was really explained to me and as may already be very clear

As above, you are clutching at straws with that, you will have been advised to check the documents were to your requirments, and contact them immediately if not.