Insurance claim - accidental damage caused by me ??

Sagwala

I have recently checked and changed my oil and filter. Straight forward job. 

In a moment of stupidity I accidentally relocated the gasket on the oil filter housing in the wrong place. Result .... Catastrophic oil loss resulting in total engine failure. 

Question ..... Would this warrant a call to my insurance under accident damage ? 

I appreciate that it isn't a driving accident or indeed that general mechanical failure under wear and tear is not covered. However under the logic of putting diesel into a petrol vehicle does class as accidental damage and potentially warrant a claim,.could I use the same logic. 

Would be interested of any experienced thoughts ? My hunch is no claim but I wouldn't want to dismiss it out of hand without some knowledgeable input which may just result in a call to the insurers. 

Many thanks. 

RogerPensionGuy

Sounds like no low oil pressure warning and engine kept running. 

Read your documents and see if insurance covers maintenance or mechanical failures. 

Go from this point. 

Sounds like your insurance won't cover it, but maybe you lucky.

Good luck. 

cw8825

almost certainley not a claim
theres likely a clause about faulty workmanship

DullGreyGuy

cw8825 said:

almost certainley not a claim
theres likely a clause about faulty workmanship

Can you point to any Motor policy with a faulty workmanship clause? I certainly dont recall ever seeing one. It would be a major problem for Third Party claims and the Road Traffic Act if a faulty handbrake cable wasnt covered etc. 

Sagwala said:

Question ..... Would this warrant a call to my insurance under accident damage ? 

I appreciate that it isn't a driving accident or indeed that general mechanical failure under wear and tear is not covered. However under the logic of putting diesel into a petrol vehicle does class as accidental damage and potentially warrant a claim,.could I use the same logic. 

Would be interested of any experienced thoughts ? My hunch is no claim but I wouldn't want to dismiss it out of hand without some knowledgeable input which may just result in a call to the insurers.  

Misfueling is another one that may be covered by some insurers but isnt covered by another. I would apply the same logic though and say that some may cover it. There is however the other issue that most policies require that you take reasonable care of your vehicle etc and I would have thought a dashboard light, signs of the oil leak etc would have occurred before the major damage and therefore this could be raised. 

Aretnap

How did the policy define accidental damage and does it contain any relevant exclusions? If you name the insurer we can look for ourselves.

Sagwala

Aretnap said:

How did the policy define accidental damage and does it contain any relevant exclusions? If you name the insurer we can look for ourselves.

It is an Esure policy

Sagwala

DullGreyGuy said:

cw8825 said:

almost certainley not a claim
theres likely a clause about faulty workmanship

Can you point to any Motor policy with a faulty workmanship clause? I certainly dont recall ever seeing one. It would be a major problem for Third Party claims and the Road Traffic Act if a faulty handbrake cable wasnt covered etc. 

Sagwala said:

Question ..... Would this warrant a call to my insurance under accident damage ? 

I appreciate that it isn't a driving accident or indeed that general mechanical failure under wear and tear is not covered. However under the logic of putting diesel into a petrol vehicle does class as accidental damage and potentially warrant a claim,.could I use the same logic. 

Would be interested of any experienced thoughts ? My hunch is no claim but I wouldn't want to dismiss it out of hand without some knowledgeable input which may just result in a call to the insurers.  

Misfueling is another one that may be covered by some insurers but isnt covered by another. I would apply the same logic though and say that some may cover it. There is however the other issue that most policies require that you take reasonable care of your vehicle etc and I would have thought a dashboard light, signs of the oil leak etc would have occurred before the major damage and therefore this could be raised. 

You would think so but unfortunately not. By the time the light came on and I stopped.it was too late. Catastrophic failure.