Insurance claim made, will my insurance go up?

Sniipe · 28-06-2009 7:21pm #1

My girlfriend and I drive our own car. Its under my name.

My girlfriend is also the main driver on another car. This car was crashed by her sister who is a named driver.

Which insurance policies will be affected? Her sister is buying a replacement car with the insurance money (single car accident). Will her insurance be affected? Also will our (me and the girlfriend) policy be affected when we renew?

Thanks

leeroybrown · 28-06-2009 7:33pm

From an insurance point of view your girlfriend will have made the claim (the policy holder is the claimant) and her sister will have had an accident. Both of them will be affected by this in future as they'll have to declare this to insurance companies. Unless there is a bonus protection option on that policy the no claims bonus attached to that policy will be wiped out and a loading might be applied. Even if there is bonus protection will only work with that particular insurer leaving the policy stuck there.

You won't be affected personally but you'll probably need to declare your girlfriend's claim to your insurer which could result in an increased cost for having her on your policy in future.

Barr · 28-06-2009 8:19pm

The claim will follow the driver involved not the policyholder.

Sniipe · 28-06-2009 8:23pm

So, which of ye is right?

Barr · 28-06-2009 8:32pm

If your g/f sister has her own policy the claim will follow this . Provided she has a full licence . The only exception to this is if she is insured with Quinn - then unfortunately both policies are affected.

snowman707 · 28-06-2009 9:00pm

Sniipe wrote: »

So, which of ye is right?

ask your insurance company.

unkel · 28-06-2009 9:25pm

Barr wrote: »

If your g/f sister has her own policy the claim will follow this

If the sister has her own policy, this will only cover her 3rd party on driving your girlfriends car. As it is a single vehicle accident with presumably only damage to the girlfriends car (and not to third parties), the sisters policy is not involved here.

The girlfriends policy will be involved here. Unless she has NCB protection, her insurance will go up. As for your policy, I'm not 100% sure. I think they ask only about you having made a claim in the last x years and not any of the named drivers. If that's the case, your policy should not go up.

But, by all means, ask the insurers involved!

oldyouth · 28-06-2009 9:29pm

Why is her sister buying a replacment car with the insurance money? Surely if she is a named driver, the car belonged to your girlfriend???

Random · 28-06-2009 9:30pm

Barr wrote: »

If your g/f sister has her own policy the claim will follow this . Provided she has a full licence . The only exception to this is if she is insured with Quinn - then unfortunately both policies are affected.

Can you elaborate on this?

Fishtits · 28-06-2009 9:38pm

Given the history of insurance companies in Ireland and their profit levels, anyone within a 3/4 mile radius of the accident will get screwed.

Barr · 28-06-2009 9:44pm

@ Random With nearly all insurance companies apart from Quinn subscribe to whats called the Dual Indemnity agreement. Its where there is dual insurance as in the op situation the claim will follow the driver . This is why there is Driving Of other Cars (DOC) in todays insurance policies

Random · 28-06-2009 9:48pm

Barr wrote: »

@ Random With nearly all insurance companies apart from Quinn subscribe to whats called the Dual Indemnity agreement. Its where there is dual insurance as in the op situation the claim will follow the driver . This is why there is Driving Of other Cars (DOC) in todays insurance policies

Can you link me to more information on this? Thanks

unkel · 28-06-2009 9:50pm

Barr wrote: »

dual insurance as in the op situation the claim will follow the driver . This is why there is Driving Of other Cars (DOC) in todays insurance policies

*coughs*

3rd party cover DOC

Barr · 28-06-2009 9:53pm

Random wrote: »

Can you link me to more information on this? Thanks

Afraid not , just know this in practice.

leeroybrown · 28-06-2009 10:00pm

Barr wrote: »

The claim will follow the driver involved not the policyholder.

Barr wrote: »

If your g/f sister has her own policy the claim will follow this . Provided she has a full licence . The only exception to this is if she is insured with Quinn - then unfortunately both policies are affected.

Obviously in that case it would follow the policy on which the claim is made. The OP doesn't exactly make it clear which case it is given that he mentions no second policy but says that the sister is buying the new car. I had assumed that since he hadn't mentioned another policy that there wasn't one involved.

In that case his girlfriend would be the claimant? If your reading of it is right then they're both lucky!

Sniipe · 28-06-2009 10:11pm

LeeRoyBrowne, I don't know what you mean by second policy.

I have a policy with hibernian and my girlfriend is a named driver (on an Opel).

My girlfriend has a policy with one direct and her sister is a named driver (on a Toyota)

My girfriend doen't drive the Toyota anymore and practically has given it to her sister. My girlfriend claimed the money for the Toyota. Her sister is now going to buy a new car and take out her own insurance.

Surely the person who crashed should be penalised. Otherwise it would be unfair on me and my girlfriend, but is this the way it works?

Also if my girlfriend is penalised for this, does her sister need to state that she was in a crash when she goes to take out her own insurance? I believe they only ask if you have made a claim.

Barr · 28-06-2009 10:14pm

unkel wrote: »

*coughs*

3rd party cover DOC

oops ok , I didn't read the original post properly , this was a single vehicle accident ...assuming that no other party was involved and provided the claim is material damage only and your g/f has comp then your g/f policy is the only one that will be affected. The fact shes named on ur policy does not affect your bonus.

Thanks Unkel for pointing that out

leeroybrown · 28-06-2009 10:29pm

Sniipe wrote: »

LeeRoyBrowne, I don't know what you mean by second policy.

The fact that your girlfriend's sister was buying the new car caused some confusion making people think that she might have claimed off a separate policy on another car that was hers. A driver can be insured on the same car twice (named and also by extension of their own policy). In many cases the other policy would be affected but that doesn't apply here.

Sniipe wrote: »

Surely the person who crashed should be penalised. Otherwise it would be unfair on me and my girlfriend, but is this the way it works?

Also if my girlfriend is penalised for this, does her sister need to state that she was in a crash when she goes to take out her own insurance? I believe they only ask if you have made a claim.

Unfortunately, it's as I suggested in my original post. Your girlfriend will have made the claim as she's the policyholder. Your girlfriend's sister will have had the accident. Both will need to disclose this if asked by an insurer. I'd expect an insurer to ask about accidents, claims, convictions and pending cases.

Edit: And yes it's a bit of a b*tch!

Insurance claim made, will my insurance go up?

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