Accidents on snow and ice

Up Donegal

Way back in the day (the 1970's), I used to hear it being said that if a motorist was involved in an accident while driving on ice or snow, they wouldn't be covered by their motor insurance. Was this ever the case, and if so, why wouldn't they have been covered?

Allinall

Up Donegal wrote: »

Way back in the day (the 1970's), I used to hear it being said that if a motorist was involved in an accident while driving on ice or snow, they wouldn't be covered by their motor insurance. Was this ever the case, and if so, why wouldn't they have been covered?

I think there's probably a clause somewhere that says you have to take reasonable steps to avoid a crash or a claim.

I'd say if you crashed playing "chicken" with a mate you wouldn't be coveeed.

biko

It should be in the terms of your insurance.

J.pilkington

Allinall wrote: »

I think there's probably a clause somewhere that says you have to take reasonable steps to avoid a crash or a claim.

I'd say if you crashed playing "chicken" with a mate you wouldn't be coveeed.

Bit of exaggeration there! Insurance company will always cover you (e.g. They don't walk away from drink driving accidents) however they may chase you if you are found to have intentionally broken rules / their terms and conditions (e.g. Undeclared modifications).

CiniO

Insurers wouldn't be allowed to make such conditions for third party cover.
They possibly could impose such limits for own car damage cover, but it sound's quite mad to me.

Fact that we get snow and ice relatively seldom on the roads in Ireland, doesn't mean that insurers should stop people from driving on it.
It would be about the same ridiculous as Spanish insures applying condition of not covering drivers when driving during rain - as it's only raining seldom there.
Sound's ridiculous really.

Up Donegal

I always found it hard to believe but at that time, many older drivers - I'm talking about the early 1970's - were adamant that they wouldn't be insured if they had an accident while driving on snow, ice or hailstones to the extent that they wouldn't take their vehicle out on the road if any of these were even forecast!!

mikeecho

Up Donegal wrote: »

Way back in the day (the 1970's), I used to hear it being said that if a motorist was involved in an accident while driving on ice or snow, they wouldn't be covered by their motor insurance. Was this ever the case, and if so, why wouldn't they have been covered?

Plenty of bar stoll lawyers back then, and now.

Take pub talk with a pinch of salt(ed peanuts)

_Brian

J.pilkington wrote: »

Bit of exaggeration there! Insurance company will always cover you (e.g. They don't walk away from drink driving accidents) however they may chase you if you are found to have intentionally broken rules / their terms and conditions (e.g. Undeclared modifications).

I was involved in a case recently and due to an "irregularity" with the driver the insurance company (FBD) refused to cover the damage caused by a vehicle in an accident.

This resulted in the company footing the bill and writing a significant cheque to cover the costs.

seamus

There have always been lots of urban myths flying around about insurance. When I started driving the myths were that you weren't covered by your insurance if you didn't have tax and you couldn't be done for drink-driving if you drove straight home instead of stopping for a Garda car.

I was involved in a case recently and due to an "irregularity" with the driver the insurance company (FBD) refused to cover the damage caused by a vehicle in an accident.

This resulted in the company footing the bill and writing a significant cheque to cover the costs.

Basically the only way an insurance company can get out of paying out on an accident is if the driver doesn't meet one of 3 or 4 basic criteria, and/or have lied about meeting these criteria.

One of these criteria is that they hold (or have held) a licence and aren't disqualified.

So most likely in your case, the person driving either wasn't specified on the company policy, or didn't have a licence.

_Brian

seamus wrote: »

There have always been lots of urban myths flying around about insurance. When I started driving the myths were that you weren't covered by your insurance if you didn't have tax and you couldn't be done for drink-driving if you drove straight home instead of stopping for a Garda car.

Basically the only way an insurance company can get out of paying out on an accident is if the driver doesn't meet one of 3 or 4 basic criteria, and/or have lied about meeting these criteria.

One of these criteria is that they hold (or have held) a licence and aren't disqualified.

So most likely in your case, the person driving either wasn't specified on the company policy, or didn't have a licence.

I'd imagine so, but the statement that "your insurance company will always cover you" is wrong.
The insurance company fought the case for seven years and then pulled the plug and left the company carrying the extra costs associated with dragging out the case that long.

seamus

Your insurance company will always cover you - provided you didn't lie when you took out the policy.

That's probably the key bit, I imagine most cases of non-payment are people who thought that buying insurance meant being insured, even though you lied about your age, your licence, your address and the car that you're driving.

Sue Pa Key Pa

Everyone reading far too much in to this.

If you skid on ice, snow, banana skin, cow shlte or anything else, it is an 'Accident' and covered by your policy