Who is affected if the named driver has an accident?

johnk

If a named driver is involved in an accident and has to make a thirdparty claim, do both the policy holder and the named driver have to declare on renewal (policy holder for the claim and named driver for accident)? It seems a bit unfair as it would look like two accidents on the form.

In the insurance database, whose name is this claim/accident recorded against?

Thanks.

Bossyboots

A named driver is deemed to be driving under the authority of the policy holder. It is up to the policy holder to notify the insurer at the time of the accident and at renewal. The third party claim is nothing to do with your insurer but you are under an obligation to report accidents to your insurers whether they are the fault of a driver on the policy or not.

If the named driver has separate insurance they have to declare the accident to their insurers as well at renewal of their policy.

I hope I have understood your question correctly but if not, please expand on the scenario.

johnk

Many thanks for your reply, Bossyboots.

Sorry I should have made it clearer: suppose A has policy with B as a named driver. B had an accident while driving on this policy and had a thirdparty claim against him. Now comes the time for renewal, and they are looking for an alternative company because the renewal premium is too high. The question is: when they fill up the (online) forms to get quotations, do they have to declare the claim/accident twice - one in A's name for the claim and one in B's name for the accident? It seems a bit unfair if that is the case as insurance companys might count that as two.

Does it make any difference if they swap the role with B as the policy holder and A the named driver?

Last question: how does the insurance database work? Does the above case end up in a record for A, or B, or both?

Bossyboots

When I changed insurer the online form asked for details of any accident involving any driver who was to be named on the policy, so swapping A and B over wouldn't make much difference.

My hubby and I had both had an accident in the year before I changed insurer. I had to put the accident involving the driver, not the policy. I was driving on my hubby's policy and he was driving on mine. I put my accident under my details and his accident under his. At the end, it simply came up as two declared accidents, one against each of us.

Therefore, unless you are specifically asked if you have made a claim on the policy then I should think you only need to put the accident under the details for driver B.

telly-addict

Agree with Bossyboots on this one. I haven't filled in an application for a little while (and I guess that each insurer will have a slightly different wording to each proposal question).

From memory, you will be asked as the main driver "Have YOU been involved in an accident.......?". A similar question will follow for other drivers.

The best advice is simply to answer the questions presented as accurately and honestly as possible.