Some insurance questions...

CiniO

I went through my car insurance policy document.
I'm insured with Allianz.
Here's the document: http://allianz.ie/Car-Insurance/FAQs/Motor_Policy_Document_0509.pdf

I've few doubts.

1. Section 1 of policy document describes third party cover. One thing took my attention

This section of your policy does not
cover:
(....)
3. any person other than you if such
person is insured under another
motor insurance policy

In my case I have my wife as a named driver, as she drive my car sometimes.

What I understand from quotation above, that anyone (even if named on my policy) if he/she has his/her own insurance policy, is not covered under this section.
So in other words, my wife, has her own policy (with extension allowing her to drive other cars), and even she is named on my policy, she is not covered with third party cover under my policy. (hence that with other parts of policy like fire, theft, own car damage, she is covered).
So if she will cause an accident driving my car, damage to someone else property (or someone elses injury) will have to be paid from her policy (with driving other cars extension), and damage to my car will be paid from my policy. Heh - fair play to insurance companies, as that is so smart, that we both loose NCB in case of such an accident, as both policies will be claimed from.

But actually my doubt is different.
What if that other person, has policy, but that policy doesn't cover driving other cars? Does it mean, that even if that person is named on my policy, she/hs's not covered with third party cover, which makes her/him driving uninsured? Am I right.
Also what is my case, I'm going on holidays to the Continent in future. We are driving my car there, and my wife's car is staying in Ireland parked. What I was thinking, that she'll suspend her policy for the time her car is not used. But now I'm not sure, if then while she'll be driving my car on the Continent, will she be still insured. Because even her policy will be suspended, she still will have that policy, which according to conditions on my policy, makes her uninsured with my policy, even that her policy is suspended and doesn't work.
This makes me confused, and I know there's no point in calling my insurers customer service line, as they knowledge is very little, and I already realised, they have no clue about much simpler matters, so they obviously wouldn't be able to help me with this.


2. Another thing from policy document:

Claims procedure
In connection with any injury, loss or
damage which may give rise to a
claim under the policy you must:
1. not admit liability for or sign any
statement to this effect or
negotiate the settlement of any
claim without our written
agreement

That's clear enough if claim is in Ireland.
That want to protect themselves against some drivers that would admit liability, even if they were not liable for accident.
But on the Continent, in most cases if there's even a small crash with foreign car (Irish reg car will be foreign car for them), there will be police called. When they come, they will investigate the scene, and state whose fault was it. They will most likely issue a fixed penalty for the driver who was at fault, and by accepting penalty you accept liability for causing a crash.
What now?
If that happens to me, what should I do?
Should I not accept that fixed penalty, and let them put case to court.
That would mean really serious hassle for me, to go to court is some foreign country, especially if I know I'm going to loose the case anyway, as it was really my fault. On the other hand though, if I accept it, my insurer can always say that I accepted liablity, and according to their rules (quoted above) they refuse to pay for the claim.
Any advice on that?

djimi

Youre probably better off directing both of those questionst to Allianz who will be able to give better advise than we can on here, but a couple of points regarding your questions.

If your wife already has her own insurnace which allows for 3rd party cover of other cars then whats the point in putting her down as a named driver on your policy? She is already covered to drive your car under her own policy.

Also, why would she suspend her insurance when you go abroad? What happens if someone steals her car while you are away?

CiniO

djimi wrote: »

Youre probably better off directing both of those questionst to Allianz who will be able to give better advise than we can on here, but a couple of points regarding your questions.

If your wife already has her own insurnace which allows for 3rd party cover of other cars then whats the point in putting her down as a named driver on your policy? She is already covered to drive your car under her own policy.

That's true. But there's two reasons to put them as named driver on my policy.

1. If she is using 3rd party cover for driving other cars from her own policy, so while she'd driving my car, she would not have a comprehensive cover, so in case of a crash it would cost a lot. If she's a named driver on my policy, then my policy would cover damage to my car if she crashed it.

2. My premium was actually cheaper with my wife as named driver, comparing to only myself on the policy.

Also, why would she suspend her insurance when you go abroad? What happens if someone steals her car while you are away?

I'd suspend it to save a couple of bob.
Considering how much a car is worth, and where I live, chance that it would get stolen is like 1 to million. It's not worth to put any money to insure such an event.

djimi

Thats a good point actually, sorry, it never occured to me that named driver is fully comp compared to 3rd party on her own insurance. I should learn not to post too early in the morning...!

How does it work with suspending insurance; do they send you back a refund for the time suspended or do you just cancel the insurance policy and then renew when you come home?

CiniO

djimi wrote: »

How does it work with suspending insurance; do they send you back a refund for the time suspended or do you just cancel the insurance policy and then renew when you come home?

Few years back, when I lived in Ireland only seasonal, I bought my insurance with Hibernian, but after 5 months, I had to leave the car here, and go abroad for another 5 months.
So I checked it, that if I'd cancel policy, I'd barely get anything back (something like 10% of annual premium) even only 5 months of policy was used.
Then I found they offer such thing as suspension of policy.
Shortest you could suspend was a month. I suspended it for 5 months. The suspension period was charged only at 10% of normal rate.
They didn't actually refund it then, but by the finish of the policy (after 12 months) they refunded the difference, which was over 35% of the whole premium (gave me few hundred back, as whole premium was over 700). What's also worth noticing, even policy was suspended for 5 months, I still got my NCB for the whole year, (i jumped from 4 years NCB to 5 years NCB).

AFAIK most (or all) insurance companies offer such a option as suspension of policy. Even more - with some of them you can suspend policy but keep only fire and theft, say at 25% of normal premium. That's perfectly sutiable if someone doesn't plan to use a car for longer period.

djimi

Thats interesting; I wasnt aware of that. The important bit is that it allows you to keep your NCB for the year.

CiniO

Youre probably better off directing both of those questionst to Allianz who will be able to give better advise than we can on here

As you adviced - I did.
I got reply today. I asked them about above, and few other things, I wasn't sure.

Here's the fragment of the reply

In relation to your other queries,
A) if your wife was to get a different policy for her car, without the driving of other cars benefit, would she be covered to drive your car?
The answer to this is yes, as your wife is a named driver of your policy, she is insured fully comprehensive to drive your car.

If your wife was to suspend her policy. Would she be insured to driver your car?
Your wife will be insured to drive your car as she is a named driver on your motor policy.

This is perfectly clear for me. I'm not sure though, if it's exactly with their policy document, but that's the official answer, so in case of any trouble, I always have a proof that I got that info directly from them (Allianz). I'm not sure though, how much would it be worth in the court.

But now another thing has arisen.
From what is written on Policy document, I understand that excees only applies to fire, theft and accidental damage to my car.
Just to clarify. Policy consist of 3 sections:

Section 1: Third party insurance
Section 2: Loss or damage to your car by fire and/or theft
Section 3: Accidental damage to your car other than fire and/or theft

In both sections 2 and 3, it clearly says about excees:

From section 2:

You will be responsible for the
amount of the excess stated in the
schedule for each and every claim
under this section whether or not
you are at fault for the loss or
damage.

From section 3:

Excess applicable
You will be responsible for the
amount of the excess stated in the
schedule for each and every claim
under this section whether or not
you are at fault for the loss or
damage. The amount is increased by
€126 where the driver (or person in
charge of your car) other than you,
holds a provisional licence.

But there is not a single word about excees in section 1.
So it's abvious, that I understand that if there is a third party claim against me (from someone who suffered lost or property caused by me) then there is no excees on such a claim (neither him or me pay it).
I have to pay excees only when I claim under section 2 or 3 (fire, theft or damage to my car).
That seem to be perfectly clear for me.

But as I was told once something about it by the customer service over the phone which I wasn't sure if I understood corectly, I decided I ask them in my letter now, together with other questions.

Here's the question I asked:

2. From what I understand, excess only applies to claims against my car, and doesn't apply to claims made by third parties against my policy (for damage which I caused to them). That seems to be clear in Policy document, but I heard different versions at Allianz customer service phone-line. So I wanted to know the definite answer for it.

And here's the answer I got:

2) The policy excess is the amount that you will be responsible for in the event of a claim under the policy. So if someone hits into your car, you will be claiming of their insurance, you don't pay anything. If you are at fault and hit someone, they will claim off your insurance and you pay the excess.

So their answer seems to be completely against, what I understood from the policy.

Now - who is wrong?