My brother found out the car insurance he’d bought had left his name off the policy (just his wife on it) when he shunted a car at the WE. Two cars written off, other driver has minor injuries, the police attented as it was on the A1, so he will be prosecuted for lack of insurance.

In mitigation, he paid for the policy (on his debit card) and has a valid gap insurance policy as well as a separate scratch insurance policy on the new car (just to point out this was a genuine mistake).

He could really do with some legal advice and he can’t be the first person to buy car insurance and be accidently left off the policy.

Anyone know of any solicitors who specialise in this sort of thing?

He could really do with some legal advice and he can’t be the first person to buy car insurance and be accidently left off the policy.

Anyone know of any solicitors who specialise in this sort of thing?
Probably ones with a time machine.

Was it his mistake that he was left off the policy? I mean obviously he should have checked the policy documents that they sent through but the insurance co will have records of the calls he made when buying it if he did it over the phone.

If it was online i’m not sure how the cock up could have not been his fault.

Sounds crap though either way!

No insurance is no insurance, unless he can show the error was by the insurers missing his name off when he asked for it to go on?

Sounds like he can make some reasonable pleas in mitigation on the penalty, if not the offence.

There’s a reason they tell you to read and check the documents.

It was online and they don’t send the policy just a link to download it, which they probably never did or if so, obviously didn’t check it….

With hindsight, yes they should have checked etc, but too late for that…

unless he can show the error was by the insurers missing his name off when he asked for it to go on?

This is one line of investigation, but taking on an inusrance company’s legal team on your own is pretty fruitless, hence the asking for advice from someone whose been in a similar situation…

Was it done over phone – if so ins co may have recording

Probably ones with a time machine.

Bit harsh.

he can’t be the first person to buy car insurance and be accidently left off the policy

It wouldn’t surprise me if it was, I find it very hard to imagine how that could happen! Not that I’m suggesting it’s anything other than a genuine mistake.

Anyone know of any solicitors who specialise in this sort of thing?

Hence this seems unlikely.

He has my sympathy though – that’s a huge pile of shit to come out of a simple administrative cock-up. I hope common sense prevails, but suspect it won’t.

Citizens Advice for basic legal advice, then if he did it over the phone contact the insurers, 90% record calls, ask them for the evidence, if he has Court date, ask that he speaks to the duty barrister dealing beforehand so he has time to show his case as he won’t get much opportunity to talk in Court.

If he can evidence it was a genuine mistake then that will go a long way to reducing any ban and fine. But he also has a duty of care to have checked the policy documents when they come through.

He has my sympathy though – that’s a huge pile of shit to come out of a simple administrative cock-up. I hope common sense prevails, but suspect it won’t.

yes, two cars, medical bills, could be looking at best part of £60-100k bill…

If he can evidence it was a genuine mistake then that will go a long way to reducing any ban and fine

That is the least of his worries, 6 points and a small fine….

The insurers will be able to provide a copy of his online application – easy to check where the error occurred.

The insurers will be able to provide a copy of his online application – easy to check where the error occurred.

Tricky one, they know if they admit an error they are instantly on the hook for a £50k+ payout, hence they will go into default mode of saying ‘your problem, not ours’.

Plus these things aren’t a single form, you have lots of different pages visited to add additional drivers etc, so piecing it all back together won’t be trivial.

yes, two cars, medical bills, could be looking at best part of £100k bill…

Though arguably that’s partially down to a physical cock-up, presumably on his part, too… sorry, not particularly helpful I know.

unless he can show the error was by the insurers missing his name off when he asked for it to go on?

Don’t they send you the documents and ask you to check the details before the insurance starts? I think that put’s the responsibility back on the person who took out the insurance.

A good one for this is called White Dalton. Loads of bikers use them.

A good one for this is called White Dalton. Loads of bikers use them.

Thanks, will look into this.

Edit: looks like they’re bikes only though….

Tricky one, they know if they admit an error they are instantly on the hook for a £50k+ payout, hence they will go into default mode of saying ‘your problem, not ours’.

Well, they can’t not give you the details, and if they are found to have cocked it up they will be paying for more than just the accident.

Not everything in this world is a conspiracy to do over the little guy.

Though I assume the names on the application are pulled straight through to the policy documents automatically so I doubt the oversight was by the insurers.

I’ve seen errors on insurance paperwork before. Stopped a car once as the database said no insurance. Very irate driver insisted he had. He stomped in later waving his certificate, then went very red and quiet when I pointed out the registration was wrong and he had insured someone else’s car 🙂 Didn’t do him for no insurance though as it was obviously just an admin error – not sure who’s error mind – but he did have to walk home to phone his insurers then walk back for his car once he’d sorted it.

Didn’t do him for no insurance though as it was obviously just an admin error,

That’s what the police said at the scene as they’d never heard of an uninsured driver with a gap insurance policy as well as a separate scratch policy on a new car. Up to the CPS if they prosecute, although that’s in the noise compared to two cars written off plus medical bills + compensation etc..

My brother found out the car insurance he’d bought had left his name off the policy (just his wife on it)

It was online

So he insured it only in his wife’s name as the primary name, but then forgot to add himself on as a named driver? That’s the only way it could’ve happened.

Every online insurance site asks for the primary driver’s full name and details first, then later on if you want to add any additional drivers.

So was this his car he was insuring in his wife’s name even though he’s the primary driver??? That’s not allowed so he better make sure his story’s straight when he talks to the insurer! Hopefully it is his wife’s car though.

That’s what the police said at the scene as they’d never heard of an uninsured driver with a gap insurance policy as well as a separate scratch policy on a new car. Up to the CPS if they prosecute, although that’s in the noise compared to two cars written off plus medical bills + compensation etc.

The actual vehicle is insured though yes? Just not him on the policy? Therefore the insurers will still have to deal with the injury and vehicle damage claims, they will deal as “RTA insurers” if they somehow worm out of that, which is rare, then the Motor Insurers Bureau would deal with the injury claims under the Uninsured Drivers Scheme. Therefore the insurers do have good cause to actually investigate whether it was a genuine cock-up

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RTA_Insurer

https://www.mib.org.uk/making-a-claim/claiming-against-an-uninsured-driver/

The actual vehicle is insured though yes?

Well only with his wife driving?

Not being legally trained, I don’t really know what the deal is.

Everyday he gets a completely different story from his and the 3rd parties insurer, so no one seems to have a clue – hence my post….

One guy said ‘yep sounds like our mistake, we’ll look at the form you filled in’, next guy said ‘we don’t have online records, your problem’.

So he insured it only in his wife’s name as the primary name, but then forgot to add himself on as a named driver? That’s the only way it could’ve happened.

Correct, she is the main user (ferrying kids about), he gets the train to work and only uses it occasionally.

Seen this shit before when you use the comparison sites . They often. Don’t drag all the data through.

Had it when doing insurance for my van .

Did comparison thingy. Phoned them to ask a few questions and found out half the info supplied hasn’t been put into the quote.

Not much help in the aftermath but shows its easy done- I doubt he is the first

Doesn’t have his own car does he ? No possibility of third party on wife’s car via that ?

You either add an additional driver to a policy or you don’t. I always buy car insurance online and the process is pretty foolproof. Not sure how it could accidentally happen.

Hope he gets it sorted out though.

As scud points out, all third party liabilities will be covered regardless of these circumstances.

Yes but insurance will seek to reclaim from uninsured driver

As scud points out, all third party liabilities will be covered regardless of these circumstances.

Interesting…..

Do they still bill the uninsured driver for it, would be a bit odd billing the person who bought the policy they’ve paid out from…

Ah right, I don’t know about it from that side trail_rat.

If it was proven that he made no attempt to take out insurance in his name, and the insurers had dealt under RTA Liability, then yes they have right of recovery against him, but very few will actually seek to do so, especially if he can evidence that he genuinely sought to take out insurance with them as you have said.

but very few will actually seek to do so, especially if he can evidence that he genuinely sought to take out insurance with them as you have said.

I very much hope this is the case….

Seen this shit before when you use the comparison sites . They often. Don’t drag all the data through.

Happened to me as well, though I caught it before paying.
Altered a parameter, not sure what, probably mileage, and the named driver was removed. Sometimes something as simple as using the browsers back button rather than the site’s can strip data out.

I was caught speeding and the ANPR showed that my car was uninsured though I was certain at the time it was. Police called the insurer who said it wasn’t saying that the insurance I had was for a car I had sold a year earlier. I found the renewal letter which showed the premium I had paid for showed the newer car I was driving was insured.

The insurance company took my premium but failed to update their database and the subsequent ANPR register.

Insurance companies can make mistakes, thankfully I wasn’t involved in an accident. Sounds like a nightmare OP, good luck

Seen this shit before when you use the comparison sites

Ok – but you log back into the site and it shows you the details you’ve entered for the quote. It saves your profile. If you have a name missing from the quote because “it didn’t save it”… well, prove it didn’t!
(My ex’s name still appeared on my Confused.com profile, despite being divorced for 2 years.)

Those scrotes on the Police, Camera Action type programmes seem to get away with this all the time.

Tell him to get a hoodie, a few tats and a can of Tennants for the court case and he’ll be fine.

Oh, and to check the paperwork next time.

Who owns the car and was this the first year they insured it or has it previously been insured for both drivers?

Does he have any driving history that would have made adding him to the insurance costly?

Many years ago I got caught for driving without insurance due to an admin error. Submitted a plea in absence, figured “not a court in the world would convict me.” Ninety quid and six points.

Good luck.

Many years ago I got caught for driving without insurance due to an admin error. Submitted a plea in absence, figured “not a court in the world would convict me.” Ninety quid and six points.

I’ve suggested he spend £500 on a Barrister to plead his case. If the only consequence of the whole thing is 6 pts and a small fine, that will be a good outcome to a nightmare situation.

Take ye ass to Legal Beagles forum rather than an MTB one for a start.

There’s two factors here:

1) Prosecution – No insurance is an absolute offence, meaning there are no mitigating circumstances, no insurance is no insurance – if he had been stopped on ANPR he would have got 6 points and a fine, but considering he’s been in an accident he can expect a big heavy book to the thrown his way.

2) Financial – His wife’s insurance might cover the cost of his car, but a lot of policies have exclusions around being driven illegally – they will not cover him for the other parties car and injuries. He’s looking at a massive bill which will be enforced by the courts to ensure it’s paid, somehow. Hopefully the other party is covered for uninsured drivers or they’re going to suffer as well.

His only, and I do mean only chance of avoiding the mother of all nightmares it getting his insurance company to admit they made a mistake and they should indemnify him. Whether they’ll fight harder because they’ll looking at a big pay out who knows, probably. He should be on bended knee to them right now asking them to sort this out, but if he’s tried to pull a fast one to save a few quid, he’s knackerd, if they don’t play ball and he genuinely believes he’s an unfortunate victim find the money and employ a solicitor right now to fight them – because the court will not seek clarification from the insurance company he needs to get them to play ball before he ends up in court for the no insurance.

How did he actually take the policy out, over phone, internet etc?

Was he previously on the policy in years gone by?

What have the insurers actually told him?

He doesn’t own any other vehicle so would have TP cover on this one?

Might be able to help more specifically then.

2) Financial – His wife’s insurance might cover the cost of his car, but a lot of policies have exclusions around being driven illegally – they will not cover him for the other parties car and injuries. He’s looking at a massive bill which will be enforced by the courts to ensure it’s paid, somehow. Hopefully the other party is covered for uninsured drivers or they’re going to suffer as well.

This isn’t correct, the vehicle itself was insured, so the insurers of the car have RTA liability to deal with the injury claims as above.

How did he actually take the policy out, over phone, internet etc?

Internet, he said

How did he actually take the policy out, over phone, internet etc?

See earlier posts, over internet.

Was he previously on the policy in years gone by?

Yes, although possibly not with this company.

What have the insurers actually told him?

Unclear, each time he gets a completely different story.

He doesn’t own any other vehicle so would have TP cover on this one?

Nope, only one car.