Moving insurance companies after a PI claim

DrPhilG

I'll give the short version first, then add the detail.

If I have a personal injury claim settled, will the size of the PI claim affect my ability to change insurers next time I renew? I've been told by a guy at Zurich that some companies won't take new business if there has been a PI claim over €10k in the past 3 years.

Any experience of this?

DrPhilG

I've already been spilling my woes in the EV forum, but my issue here is insurance related rather than EV so here goes.

I'm contemplating getting rid of a 2012 Peugeot 308 and buying a 2013 Nissan Leaf.

However... I had an accident in February (my fault). Not a huge amount of damage done, but of course the other party is claiming personal injury (as is the done thing). My renewal was in April, but they told me that because the claim was ongoing, it would be next year before my insurance took the hit.

Her car has been sorted (£1300) but the PI claim is still ongoing and could be for some time. I know I can't really shift companies until it is sorted, which is why I called 123.ie to see how much it would cost to change vehicle while staying with them.

They claimed that the price they gave me was not related to my ongoing claim, yet they quoted me an extra €950 on top of the €570 I paid just 6 weeks ago, to change from a 2012 Peugeot 308 to a 2013 Nissan Leaf. I know from speaking to EV owners that insurance on an electric car should not be much different than on a normal car, if anything it should be cheaper as some companies give EV discounts.

So it seems that 123.ie are just holding me to ransom because they know I can't shop around. I may still change vehicle, but what irritates me is that rather than saving about €1500 a year on fuel, I'll probably only save about €500 because the insurance company is stiffing me over and above the expected rise in insurance caused by the accident.

To Elland Back

OP, is the claim against you or are you claiming from somebody else?

DrPhilG

To Elland Back wrote: »

OP, is the claim against you or are you claiming from somebody else?

Claim is against me.

Liam McPoyle

DrPhilG wrote: »

Claim is against me.

When a claim is open then most insurers won't quote I'm afraid, no matter what the reserve.

XS Direct used to take drivers with an open claim below a certain threshold but it was a crap policy with a whopper excess.

DrPhilG

Business Cat wrote: »

When a claim is open then most insurers won't quote I'm afraid, no matter what the reserve.

XS Direct used to take drivers with an open claim below a certain threshold but it was a crap policy with a whopper excess.

Yeah I know I'm stuck with 123 for now while the claim is open, I'm just trying to figure out if I'm stuck with them after the claim is closed.

A guy from Zurich told me that some insurers won't take on new business if the customer has a PI claim more than €10k within 3 years.

I just called my local insurance broker, they said that a few companies work like that, but most are more lenient, and will only limit customers if they have 2 or more claims totalling over €35k within 2 years.

So I should be fine. I had step back cover, so I will still have 4 years NCB for next year. It's just this year that I'll be stung for a huge premium because 123.ie have me by the cahoneys.

DrPhilG

Bloody annoys me more and more the longer I think about it.

I know other EV drivers who have found their insurance stay around the same or even drop when changing from a normal car so it's nothing to do with the vehicle.

123.ie are just taking advantage of my situation and trebling my insurance if I want to change car.

thebiglad

Yes, I agree it is very annoying and I am very surprised the insurers are allowed to get with the anti-competitive practice of 'not allowing you to move' following a claim.

Claims, particularly with injury and however minor in our jurisdiction can take 2-3 years to be concluded - even in PIAB it will exceed 12 months from date of accident.

Have you tried the aggregators - quote devil and chill - perhaps there is someone out there who will quote you and the quickest route to them is a broker, alternatively try brokers such as Pat Britton or AA Insurance on the phone.

Don't think XS Direct as mentioned by an earlier poster (for all their issues) are offering policies in Ireland at the moment.

It seems that staying put (if there is any other option) is a terrible option.

DrPhilG

Spoke to Quotedevil. They said that there are 2 companies who will quote while there is an outstanding claim. One will only do so if they know the estimated amount of the claim, the other will quote regardless but have a minimum premium of around €2k.

Basically they told me to sit tight until the claim is completed.

It makes life so much more frustrating that the girl claiming works around the corner from me in the same building. I know without a shadow of a doubt that she is fabricating her injuries.

DrPhilG

To make matters worse, I entered my details into an online quote with Aviva. Based on 4 years NCB (which I will have come April) they quoted me €398.

123.ie are quoting me €1520 for the same vehicle allegedly based on 6 years NCB!

To Elland Back

thebiglad wrote: »

Yes, I agree it is very annoying and I am very surprised the insurers are allowed to get with the anti-competitive practice of 'not allowing you to move' following a claim.

Nobody is forbidding you from moving, alternative insurers have made a commercial decision not to offer a quotation to a person with an open claim. Any insurer can decide to quote if they want

DrPhilG

Regardless of my inability to move at present, is there nobody I can appeal to about the premium 123.ie are lobbing at me for changing my vehicle?

They are trebling the price if I move to a Nissan Leaf. They insist that the price is nothing to do with my current claim, nor the fact that I am unable to shop around at the minute. They claim that it is purely a risk based calculation because of the car in question.

Yet I know from talking to others on here who have the same car, that their insurance either stayed the same or even dropped when they changed. Aviva's online calculator quoted me under €400 based on 4 years NCB and the same vehicle.

123 are quoting nearly 4 times the price. Surely that must breach some industry standard or something?

Henry Ford III

DrPhilG wrote: »

Regardless of my inability to move at present, is there nobody I can appeal to about the premium 123.ie are lobbing at me for changing my vehicle?

They are trebling the price if I move to a Nissan Leaf. They insist that the price is nothing to do with my current claim, nor the fact that I am unable to shop around at the minute. They claim that it is purely a risk based calculation because of the car in question.

Yet I know from talking to others on here who have the same car, that their insurance either stayed the same or even dropped when they changed. Aviva's online calculator quoted me under €400 based on 4 years NCB and the same vehicle.

123 are quoting nearly 4 times the price. Surely that must breach some industry standard or something?

Nope. I'd say you are stuffed tbh.

DrPhilG

Lets try a different option then...

The reason I can't change company is because I have a pending claim on the policy. So I can't change my policy on that vehicle to a different company as they would be taking the claim along with the cover.

But what I am trying to do is to get a new car. There is nothing preventing me having 2 policies on 2 vehicles, correct? I used to have a car and a van and had insurance policies on both with different companies.

My understanding is that at worst I would not be able to use my NCB on another policy, but is there anything stopping me from taking out a new policy with no NCB on the Nissan Leaf I want to buy? I would still be insured on the Peugeot but I could just let that policy on the Peugeot expire next year? There isn't any rule that means I have to keep renewing the policy is there? My wife was the named driver in my van and we just let that lapse when it expired because I sold the van. That claim is still rumbling on due to the Setanta insurance collapse.

Or is there a legality I'm missing?

At the end of the day taking out a new policy on the Leaf even without any NCB would be cheaper than changing my current policy with 123. And I am keen to never give 123 another penny of my business.

delta_bravo

DrPhilG wrote: »

Lets try a different option then...

The reason I can't change company is because I have a pending claim on the policy. So I can't change my policy on that vehicle to a different company as they would be taking the claim along with the cover.

But what I am trying to do is to get a new car. There is nothing preventing me having 2 policies on 2 vehicles, correct? I used to have a car and a van and had insurance policies on both with different companies.

My understanding is that at worst I would not be able to use my NCB on another policy, but is there anything stopping me from taking out a new policy with no NCB on the Nissan Leaf I want to buy? I would still be insured on the Peugeot but I could just let that policy on the Peugeot expire next year? There isn't any rule that means I have to keep renewing the policy is there? My wife was the named driver in my van and we just let that lapse when it expired because I sold the van. That claim is still rumbling on due to the Setanta insurance collapse.

Or is there a legality I'm missing?

At the end of the day taking out a new policy on the Leaf even without any NCB would be cheaper than changing my current policy with 123. And I am keen to never give 123 another penny of my business.

You would still need to disclose the claim in getting a new quote so I think you're no better unfortunately

Henry Ford III

That won't work either. The open pending claim has to be disclosed and you'd end up back at square 1 again.

DrPhilG

When I renewed my car insurance (my wife was a named driver) after my wife's accident they said it so didn't matter as it was on a different policy. My car insurance never took a hit as a result of her claim even though her personal injury claim still isn't settled.

slimjimmc

DrPhilG wrote: »

Lets try a different option then...

The reason I can't change company is because I have a pending claim on the policy. So I can't change my policy on that vehicle to a different company as they would be taking the claim along with the cover.

But what I am trying to do is to get a new car. There is nothing preventing me having 2 policies on 2 vehicles, correct? I used to have a car and a van and had insurance policies on both with different companies.

My understanding is that at worst I would not be able to use my NCB on another policy, but is there anything stopping me from taking out a new policy with no NCB on the Nissan Leaf I want to buy? I would still be insured on the Peugeot but I could just let that policy on the Peugeot expire next year? There isn't any rule that means I have to keep renewing the policy is there? My wife was the named driver in my van and we just let that lapse when it expired because I sold the van. That claim is still rumbling on due to the Setanta insurance collapse.

Or is there a legality I'm missing?

At the end of the day taking out a new policy on the Leaf even without any NCB would be cheaper than changing my current policy with 123. And I am keen to never give 123 another penny of my business.

I doubt there is anything preventing you legally taking out a new policy if an insurer will accept you. However what are you going to do when your new insurer requires you to state your previous insurance policy, declare any claims, provide your driving licence number and whatever other information they require? Insurers aren't stupid, you're the same person and they know how to do background checks and assess risks and premiums accordingly.

DrPhilG

slimjimmc wrote: »

I doubt there is anything preventing you legally taking out a new policy if an insurer will accept you. However what are you going to do when your new insurer requires you to state your previous insurance policy, declare any claims, provide your driving licence number and whatever other information they require? Insurers aren't stupid, you're the same person and they know how to do background checks and assess risks and premiums accordingly.

I'm not trying to scam anyone or do anything illegal.

My point is that I would find it perfectly acceptable if my policy jumped from €570 to around €800 or so. 123 are trying to charge me €1500.

I think that if I take out a brand new policy, with a different company, giving them full disclosure of my accident, lack of any NCB and pending claim, it would still probably be less than what 123 are trying to stick me with.

browniepoints

You can try the Insurance ombudsman never know your luck , but dont think you will get far they get paid by insurance company so who will bite the hand that pays them .

You should also complain to to Nissan Leaf sales agents you cant buy that toy because of this car insurance problem and its amazing what commercial interests can do to get sales going especially as leaf is losing a fortune on those Leaf things . Sometimes they got brokers they can pick out of their rear end that insure most anything for cheap as chips but its normally reserved for the top end of market but you never know

Many ways to skin a cat

Also bear in mind Setantanta commercail vans insurance fiasco on PI claims the insurance industry non insured fund only pays 65% the costs and technically the driver might be expected and dragged through courts to cough up the rest of the 45% PI claims .

Also looks like the uninsured drivers fund will be nearly cleaned out from Setanta commercail vans insurance fiasco so insurance rates in ROI are going higher and more companies pulling down the shutters and running away .

God knows how many other Setanta commercail vans insurance fisco are in the pipe line

I used to think that people were lying when they claimed whip lash from crash until some ding bat rear ended me doing 60KPH at least . So its not so easy to say the victim is not injured .
The human is fragile and car accidents can do weird things .
I saw a car T bone another at 20MPH and the old biddy who was hit side on was dead from broken neck and side ways hit .
Many years ago in my youth I rolled my car maybe 20 times many years back at 130KPH and only had a few scratches .
Its pot luck with car crash
The last crash one year later still got severe whip lash form slower crash which wasnt my fault the guy behind me was asleep at the wheel on wet rainy day.
When the driver behind me copped I had stopped because of road conditions in front of me he rear ended me and my car was squashed to half its normal length and I went of in ambulance .

Good luck with the Leaf purchase if my credit card could reach there I would buy one tomorrow

I have severe dought that the insurance company will pay my PI claims three or four years from now as they all look to me like they are all gonna do Setanta runner soon and the unisured drivers will go belly up and the driver who hit me has sod all .So I dont expect anytime soon the compo will buy me a Leaf

Jed

Henry Ford III

browniepoints wrote: »

You can try the Insurance ombudsman never know your luck , but dont think you will get far they get paid by insurance company so who will bite the hand that pays them .

You should also complain to to Nissan Leaf sales agents you cant buy that toy because of this car insurance problem and its amazing what commercial interests can do to get sales going especially as leaf is losing a fortune on those Leaf things . Sometimes they got brokers they can pick out of their rear end that insure most anything for cheap as chips but its normally reserved for the top end of market but you never know

Ombudsman doesn't deal with premium calculations. The OP is stuck with an open claim and can't move until it's settled. Nobody else would take them on as a new customer in the circumstances. Current insurer wants a hefty increase and the only choices are either accept it, or don't.

Nissan Sales cannot influence what an insurer charges either.

DrPhilG

Just an update, I've been on the phone to a supervisor with the insurance company. He explained that the system had an error that was applying the wrong insurance code to the Leaf and that is why I was getting the crazy price.

So instead of the cost of changing the vehicle being +€950...

It will be -€70!

Just saved myself a grand!

Problem solved, thanks for all the advice from everyone. I am now a happy bunny and future leaf owner!

Henry Ford III

Great result!