Honest drivers lose out
All motorists find getting good insurance cover an annual headache, and we all decry those who don't bother with it. But who's got it right?
A run-in with an uninsured driver, who happened to be taking three very young children to school, left me with a dented wing and a dislodged side light.
After leaving the scene at pace and pretending she did not know anything about the incident when I caught up with her, she gave me her details and having no insurance agreed to pay for the repair.
My insurers had the details and recommended a repairer whose quote came to £600, of which I would have to cover the first £120 as excess and I lost the use of my car for three or four days.
Could I reclaim this from the other party through the legal element of my policy? No. They would only bother if it was £300 or more, or if there was personal injury.
Having considered the quote excessive, I went to a local body repair shop and was quoted £90 (the side light I had already clipped back into place).
The car was duly repaired locally within the day, including a courtesy car, and I was £30 better off.
The uninsured driver, despite her promise, even on a text recording, disappeared and sending her details to the authorities produced no response. The insurance company were informed of my findings of overpriced quoting and unnecessary parts replacement, but no response there either.
Ultimately the law-abiding insured driver is the loser because the insurance company has your money, the uninsured could not care less and the authorities are not bothered.
B Price, Highpark Crescent, Sedgley.
