Hi All

My Partner at work has a serious dilemma regarding an insurance pay out.

Hi daughter is 20, University student and drives a new mini, said mini was recently involved in a minor crash in which a coolant hose was likely damaged and not noticed and replaced during the repair.

Subsequantly the engine lost most of its coolant and the engine warning light has been coming on. Being 21 and quite hairbrain in respect of car maintenance etc. she simply kept driving it. Now the engine is potentially knackered and the broker is disputing the issue with regards the coolant hose saying something must have come up into the engine after the crash causing it to split and as the diagnostic report proves the engine light has been on and therefore she is negligible and they wont pay out!.

OK, she is negligible, but also completely ignorant to the consequences…………whereas if she was to write off 3 cars whilst texting her friends a comprehensive insurer would pay out in full.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers

Don’t think she’ll have much luck. You’re supposed to be able to demonstrate on the practical driving test that you understand what the various fluids are for; the associated warning lights; and the consequences of running low.

“Did the engine warning light come on?”

Yes.

“Did you ignore it?”

Yes.

“This is our problem how?”

I think you’re on a hiding to nothing, I’m afraid. The initial problem might be their fault, but she’s avoidably aggravated the problem resulting in major damage.

Pay to ave it fixed and heed the lesson that if someone is irresponsible enough to ignore an irregular light on the dashboard then they aren’t responsible enough to own a car that costs about 20k.

Unless there is some sort of date stamp on the diagnostic report to show it happened pretty much straight after the accident (I’ve no idea if they actually do that!) then I fear that she has just learnt a very expensive lesson. Presumably the repairing garage would have seen the engine warning light when they had it? Sorry.

I totally appreciate its her fault and have very little compassion!, however I would think Comprehensive car insurance covers pretty much covers most accidents irrespective of blame. Like I said people fall asleep at the wheel, crash whilst texting or not concentrating…………all things we know we should not do but again insurers still pay out.

This dilemma in a round about way is no different to any of the above. The car did not go into safe mode with limited speed like many cars do nowadays, the light was also not on continuous whilst on a journey.

Kev

I would think Comprehensive car insurance covers pretty much covers most accidents irrespective of blame.

I’m sure you would. (-:

Never mind the broker, what does the insurance company say?

My understanding of insurance cover is that it covers the policy holder but this dependant on them being within the law, e.g texting whilst driving would not be covered, falling asleep may be covered as long as its not the result of having 15 pints or an illness you haven’t declared.

ItI would cover the third party however in the above circumstances. If the policy holder is driving in any way illegally at the time of an accident they would be fubar.

however I would think Comprehensive car insurance covers pretty much covers most accidents irrespective of blame.

You can’t claim on your insurance because you blew your engine up by ignoring warning lights.

Insurance is for accidents.

That’s not an accident.

(What’s the “dilemma” by the way ?)

mini was recently involved in a minor crash in which a coolant hose was likely damaged and not noticed

His daughter is 20, University student and drives a new mini

There’s the problem. If she’d paid for it out of hard saved cash, she’d park up as soon as the light flashed.

Hmmm quick to judge…., bar the deposit,the car is 100% self funded by her including insurance cover, she works 3 nights a week and all weekend in a pub, not a case of daddys girl syndrome, rest assured her old man aint going to bail her out to the tune of 6k.

The independent report concludes that the hose (which caused this problem) was most likely split during the earlier crash as it also came detached and was replaced using generic “none BMW” clamps. The damage to the hose was probably missed. Whilst this is no excuse, and she appreciates shes f***ed up it only adds to their frustration.

Despite this report the insurance co. simply wont accept it and claim that some debris from the road had bounced up and split a reinforced 7mm thick coolant pipe…

Not really surprised they won’t accept it, you are obviously trying it on. If you do make a big enough noise and get a payout it will be in everyone else’s premiums next year.

mini was recently involved in a minor crash in which a coolant hose was likely damaged and not noticed

Ernie, I presume that was in response to me saying that it wasn’t an accident.

Ignoring a blindingly obvious engine warning light that results in a blown engine is negligent.

It’s not an accident.

It’s not an accident.

Well I know better than to argue with you nealglover.

So you win.

Well I know better than to argue with you nealglover.

So you win.

You’re wrong, and thats a very weak Cop out 🙄

Was it an “accident” when she ignored the warning light or not ?

If it’d just gone bang, with the light on for a few minutes you’d probably have a case – but if she’s just been ignoring it, I can’t see you getting anywhere.

But, what kind of ‘minor’ crash would cause a hose to be replaced? Had it been replaced before, or was the car brand new?

I think the problem here is that the crash didn’t damage the engine. Your daughter ignoring the light did.

Comprehensive insurance does cover the policyholder’s car for damage caused in an accident, even if they were the only vehicle involved however in this particular case the damage after the accident was say a £100 garage bill. Not a new engine. The insurer will be thinking along this lines

I would be surprised if it would pay out. Also she needs to mindful, if it does it will do really really horrible things to her premiums and she may be better off sorting out a second hand engine of similar mileage.

May work out cheaper in the long run (loadings for claims last for a few years, I know I made one and it cost me dear).

Cheers

Danny B

Timescales and severity of crash.

If this happened within a month of the crash? If it happened later?

Was the minor damage a new bumper or more?

Need more info.