Five Crazy But Common Car Insurance Exclusions
Five Crazy But Common Car Insurance Exclusions
You buy your car insurance, you glance at the policy documents, and you assume you’re covered for all eventualities where your car is stolen or damaged. Think again.
Be sure to read your policy documents thoroughly. If you are over the age of seventy-five and are injured in a motoring incident, your insurance company may not pay compensation. Some insurance companies will not pay out if you have been tricked into handing over your keys to a car thief. If your car is damaged during a “road rage” incident, your insurer may not cover this. Most car insurance policies will not provide gap insurance as standard; therefore you will not be paid out the same as what you paid for your car should it be “written-off” or stolen.
There are exclusions in every car insurance policy. Should you be unfortunate enough to have something bizzare or unusual happen to you or your car, it could be very frustrating at best to discover that your insurer won’t cough up. Some of them are downright crazy. Five of the most crazy but common car insurance exclusions are:
1. Nuclear Fallout
If Britain was wiped out by a nuclear bomb and you managed to survive, you wouldn’t receive a pay out from your insurer for the damage caused to your car.Nuclear fallout is a standard exclusion to be found in motor insurance policies.
Neither will you be compensated for damage caused by nuclear explosions or radioactive contamination.
Currently this exclusion applies to policies bought from almost all the major motor insurance firms, including Admiral, Direct Line, Aviva, Churchill, Saga, Prudential, Sheila’s Wheels, and Co-operative Insurance to name a few.
2. UFOs
Most car insurance firms will not pay out if your car is damaged by pressure waves from aircraft travelling at or beyond the speed of sound.Included in this is damage caused by UFOs from outer space whether sonic or supersonic.
Don’t expect your insurer to pay out in the event of your car being damaged by an alien laser beam.As this type of aggression would be considered an act of war, this qualifies as an exclusion. Car insurance firms usually exclude cover for damage caused by war, civil war, acts of a foreign enemy, or revolution.
Currently this exclusion applies to policies bought from almost all majorcar insurance firms, including Direct Line, Aviva, Admiral, Churchill, Saga, Prudential, Sheila’s Wheels, and LV=.
3. Car Stolen by Jealous Husband or Wife
Motor insurers will not provide cover if your car is taken without your permission by any member of your household or family. This includes your husband/wife/partner as well as children, parents or a lodger in your house. The exception to this rule would be if your car was reported stolen and you went to court to prosecute.
Almost all policies purchased from major automotive insurers carry this exclusion.
4. Earthquakes
Fortunately for us Brits, the UK is not prone to earthquakes or tremors. However, were the worst to happen and the ground opened up and swallowed your car, or even if a less violent earthquake shattered your windscreen, it’s probable that your insurer would refuse to pay out.
A small but significant number of car insurance firms do not cover for damage caused by earthquakes. One insurer with this exception which comes to mind is the famous sea-farer. Other insurers who refuse cover for earthquakes include Saga, Prudential, and Sheila’s Wheels.
It seems that earthquakes are commonly referred to as “acts of God” within insurance policy documents; make sure that you are aware what else is classified under this phrase. Sheila’s Wheels breakdown service, for example, cannot be held liable if they leave you stranded by the roadside because of an “act of God”.
5. Blind Drivers
Unsurprisingly, there is not a single insurance firm who will provide cover for drivers who can’t see. This is never stated explicitly in insurance policy documents, but insurance companies cover their backs by saying they won’t pay out for claims resulting from damage caused by “unlicensed drivers”.
In one case, no driving licence and thus no insurance cover was not enough to prevent one blind driver from jumping behind the wheel. In 2006, 31-year-old Omed Aziz was banned from driving for three years and given a suspended jail sentence after police caught him driving on the wrong side of the road.
This exclusion seems to apply to policies bought from almost all motor insurance firms.
How do you go about finding the insurance cover that is best for you and your vehicle?Car insurance policies need to be compared for more factors than just their price. Research what’s covered and what’s excluded by each company you’re considering. Secondly, if the level of cover you want isn’t available from standard car insurance firms, consider taking out extra insurance, such as gap insurance, from a specialist insurer.
Car insurance exclusions are usually not that hard to find, you just need to have a look at the rarely-read policy documents.
To be sure you’re not hit by a nasty surprise when you need to make a claim, make some time to read through policy documents when choosing your car insurance.You will usually find that your insurance company has a downloadable policy document on their website.
For peace of mind, you can always choose to take out extra cover such as gap insurance, which will ensure your receive the full amount you paid for your vehicle if it’s stolen or written off. Those exclusions applicable at the time of writing may not necessarily still apply so it is important to check with individual insurers first. The article is not a statement of fact and not intended to be used as advice. Ensure that you request all the details.
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