25 replies to this topic

[Black.Ghost]

Yeah this is stupid. I know why they do it but they really shouldn't be allowed to.

Being in a certain place at a certain time does not make you more likely to have an accident again. No two accidents are ever exactly the same in the same place. It's complete crap. I would love to see where they drag these stats up from. It's disgusting they can get away with it. If you are at fault, fair enough. But if you are innocent then they should not be allowed to factor that in at all, and the law needs to change on it. Apparently Cameron wants to try and remove a claim culture for whiplash etc. Maybe they should start with giving the insurance companies a kick up the bum.

[richw911]

it feels horrible knowing theres nothing i can actually do about this.

Yeah very frustrating

[Dan]

It's nothing to do with them thinking the car will be in any particular place, or thinking you put the car anywhere, or thinking you might cause an accident or anything like that at all. It's nothing to do with the vehicle you drive. Insurance is all about maths. They develop a profile, for want of a better word, for you based on your answers to all their questions. This profile describes you as far as the insurance industry is concerned. They know based on all their data from the past that there is a certain probability of people falling into that profile group having an accident and the average cost to them of that accident. It's nothing to do with you at all, it's to do with all the people that have been insured in the past who fall into the same profile group as you do. If you have a crash, even if it's not your fault, it changes your profile because it changes the answers to the questions. People who have been in an accident are statistically more likely to be involved in another. Just statistically. That's it, there is nothing else. When you apply for insurance they ask if you have been involved in an accident, not if you caused one. Insurance has to treat people like this, there are too many people for them to develop individual data for everyone. I'm not for a minute suggesting there is nothing wrong with the UK car insurance industry, I personally believe it's corrupt and dishonest to the extreme and it needs to be restructured. The way they deal with individuals however is pretty much how it has to be for any form of insurance that deals with this many people.

[Cooperman]

Your insurance covers you for all looses you may cause to a 3rd party. Thus the 3rd party's insurer will be covering him/her for any losses which his error causes to anyone else. Thus it follows that if the accident was entirely the fault of the other party, which certainly appears to be the case, then you as the non-fault party should suffer no loss whatsoever. So, the first thing to do is to establish
with your insurer that your premium increase is due entirely to the accident and not to an across-the-board increase for all of their policy holders. You need this in writing. Once you have this, then write to the insurer insisting that they reclaim, on your behalf, this additional premium and make the point that any increase next year and years thereafter as a direct result of this will also be a part of your claim.
If they decline to do so, then send a claim for this, by recorded delivery, to the person who crashed into you and, if you know their address their insurer as well, requiring payment immediately. Copy this to your insurer. If you don't get paid, go to the small claims court and make a claim against the other driver and his/her insurer jointly and severally, but keep your insurer in the loop at all times.

[onefastmoke]

I feel your pain, this happened to me two years ago, my car was hit by a council recycling truck, he hadn't secured his curtain sides and when driving towards me it swung out and damaged my car along its entire length. 8 months after it was settled when I was shopping round for renewing every company I tried had put the premium up by around £200 and was told that it will be on my history for 5 years and I'm 32 with 15 years no claims

[joshspragg]

I feel your pain, this happened to me two years ago, my car was hit by a council recycling truck, he hadn't secured his curtain sides and when driving towards me it swung out and damaged my car along its entire length. 8 months after it was settled when I was shopping round for renewing every company I tried had put the premium up by around £200 and was told that it will be on my history for 5 years and I'm 32 with 15 years no claims

and theres nothing you could actually do?

[Lee_bash]

Is it just england that is this bad insurance wise, or are other countries equally as bad? makes you wonder...

[Black.Ghost]

Dan, I see your point but it's a complete joke. That question should not be allowed to alter your profile. Obviously a large part of the problem is exaggerated/false insurance claims meaning they have to pay out money. At the end of the day, the aim of any company is to make as large a profit as possible. Until such time as government can introduce legislation, changes won't happen.

I know this comes up a lot, and I think everyone, or certainly most people, on here feel there are many problems with insurance companies but there is nothing we can do. It doesn't make it excusable in anyway, but you can start to see why people drive without insurance.

[Tom7]

Is it just england that is this bad insurance wise, or are other countries equally as bad? makes you wonder...

You'd be sickened by how reasonable and fair insurance is in a country like Germany! I wonder if they have as many whiplash claims?!

[ibrooks]

Little known fact but you aren't actually required to have insurance in the UK.

a person must not use a motor vehicle on a road unless there is in force in relation to the use of the vehicle by that person such a policy of insurance or such a security in respect of third party risks as complies with the requirements of this Part of this Act

The Act requires that motorists either be insured, have a security, or have made a specified deposit (£500,000 as of 1991) with the Accountant General of the Supreme Court, against their liability for injuries to others (including passengers) and for damage to other persons' property, resulting from use of a vehicle on a public road or in other public places.

Basically as I understand it if you've lodged the money with a suitable body and have a crash that's your fault you can either pay for the damage or the securing body will pay for the damage.

Now the interest over 12 months on that sort of cash would be far more that almost any insurance policy so you would be better sticking the money in the bank and paying the insurance out of that.

However....... Should I ever win the lottery (because lets face it that's the only way I'm ever going to have half a million quid that I'm not using) then I'll do it just to keep the money out of the hands of the insurance scum (sorry companies).

Iain

[joshspragg]

Little known fact but you aren't actually required to have insurance in the UK.

a person must not use a motor vehicle on a road unless there is in force in relation to the use of the vehicle by that person such a policy of insurance or such a security in respect of third party risks as complies with the requirements of this Part of this Act

The Act requires that motorists either be insured, have a security, or have made a specified deposit (£500,000 as of 1991) with the Accountant General of the Supreme Court, against their liability for injuries to others (including passengers) and for damage to other persons' property, resulting from use of a vehicle on a public road or in other public places.

Basically as I understand it if you've lodged the money with a suitable body and have a crash that's your fault you can either pay for the damage or the securing body will pay for the damage.

Now the interest over 12 months on that sort of cash would be far more that almost any insurance policy so you would be better sticking the money in the bank and paying the insurance out of that.

However....... Should I ever win the lottery (because lets face it that's the only way I'm ever going to have half a million quid that I'm not using) then I'll do it just to keep the money out of the hands of the insurance scum (sorry companies).

Iain

ok cool, you go and do that.