Car insurance excess help

neillv6

Hi

My wife works for a care company and was with a colleague today driving in a car park. Unfortunately the lady she was with hit a high kerb and has damaged the side of the car.

The car is owned by the parents of 2 disabled girls, not the company she works for. Apparently it’s on a open insurance policy, that covers anybody over the age of 25.

The parents are saying that the employee has to pay the excess as it’s on their (the parents) own insurance.

Can anybody offer any advise on this? I was always under the impression that if your driving a vehicle that’s being used in the course of your employment then all insurance matters are covered by the employer. When anybody joins the company, they do a dl check to ensure the new employee is allowed to drive.

The lady is concerned as she won’t be able to afford the excess and also feels that she shouldn’t be liable for the excess as she was at work.

Tia

jonesMUFCforever

Does she belong to a Union?
If she does phone them but without seeing her contract of employment it is impossible to say how to proceed here.

If it was made clear to her that in the event of a claim she would have to pay the excess in theory she will have to pay but I have never heard of any similar claims on these boards or elsewhere (there must be claims somewhere).
If she was never told then I agree she would not have to pay BUT would they 'let her go'?
That is why I say contact the Union or CAB if there is no union cover.

forgotmyname

Excess covered by the employer for company vehicles yes, but it wasnt a company vehicle it was essentially a customer of the employer.

What does her contract say?

On their own insurance? The parents? Should they be liable for the excess for damage not caused by them?

Nebulous2

What is the care company saying?

The carer wont have a contract with the family, but the care company will have. The carer should have a contract from her employer. It is unlikely that either of these contracts spells out what happens in a circumstance like this - but how the care company aproaches it is key to what happens next.

rogerramjet

As the girls are disabled it is highly likely the vehicle is a motability lease vehicle as they will provide an "open" policy to stop the person(s) needing support being restricted by lack of drivers. The Motability scheme insurance usually also has a restricted excess which used to be £75.00 per claim.

From previous experience, the company I used to work for would inform families of those with mobility vehicles which they wanted staff to drive, if there was an accident, unless it was clear negligence of the staff member (possibly being prosecuted due to accident) any excess for damage would need to be covered by the family.

If it is a Motability scheme vehicle I believe a quick google search of "motability insurance"will provide the OP of details of excess amounts.