Panicking about recent insurance claim

Nasqueron

Price comparison sites let you choose SDP, SDP and Commuting, Car used for work etc. If you didn't choose commuting then you weren't covered for doing so. Your policy documents would also specify the cover

AstroTurtle

There is a few options that could happen and a few factors at play but the two main ones are.

1. They could refuse to pay for the claim and void the policy on the grounds they wouldn't have issued a insurance contract it if they knew you were commuting and refund you your premiums.

2. They could re-calculate how much they would have charged you at inception if you had the commuting endorsement on your policy

3. They feel you have deliberately misrepresented your risk and they will void the policy and retain your premiums.

To void a policy isnt instant. Claims teams may continue on whilst a senior underwriter will write to you about any potential voidance where they usually outline why they will void the policy and what that means for you and they give you a timescale to respond as to their findings. So you may find that their claims team continues as normal to prevent any delays to any final process. If a voidance occurs after a claim has been paid, you may be liable to repay them any pay-out you've received.


Realistically i imagine they will charge you the extra premium you should have paid as not many motor insurers would deem commuting as a declined quote. You just need to prove you didnt deliberately or recklessly misrepresent your material facts.

societys_child

There may be a possibility that they could calculate the percentage of the policy premium underpayment and reduce any pay-out by the same percentage, rather than void the policy.



EDIT: See this thread (particularly the link in post #6)

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5933136


Thanks to dacouch, this is the link to the FOS:
https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/publications/technical_notes/misrepresentation-and-non-disclosure.htm#a11

uk1

It would be extremely generous of them if they simply decide to recalibrate the claim to take account of a premium underpayment, because insurers are normally these days quite hard-nosed about finding ways not to pay, and the reason why you had the accident was because you were commuting from your place of work. Putting yourself in their shoes it might not quite sound quite right to them that with all the warnings put in to ensure you buy the right cover and reminders to check carefully, you say these steps and reminders failed.

In the event that they decline insurance you find yourself in a more difficult situation of effectively driving whilst uninsured something that can have quite far-reaching consquences if the council or property owner were to report the incident to the police for example.

I hope it works out for you.

societys_child

It's 5 days ago, wonder what happened :huh:


Will we ever know?