Named driver insurance.

[Drawweight]

My youngest daughter's husband smashed her car the other night. Skidded , hit a tree, no injury but car is a write off.

Now it seems she told my other daughter that her husband although a named driver was only insured third party.

I can't get hold of her to confirm this but would this be right? I would have assumed that the named driver had the same cover as the main insurer i.e fully comp.

Her husband has only just passed his test so it is possible this could have been a cost saving exercise if the option was offered to her (although not much of a cost saving now!!)

I realise policy's vary and the only way to confirm it is to check the policy documents but is this a common practice?

[Monty Python]

That's what I thought to - named drivers have the same level of cover as the policy holder.

[Countdown]

Drawweight said:

I would have assumed that the named driver had the same cover as the main insurer i.e fully comp.

Her husband has only just passed his test so it is possible this could have been a cost saving exercise if the option was offered to her (although not much of a cost saving now!!)

I realise policy's vary and the only way to confirm it is to check the policy documents but is this a common practice?

I think you're right. In all my years of buying insurance I've never come across the option to have a different level of cover for a named driver.

[LoonR1]

There is a lot more to this story. I'd expect him to turn out to have been driving on DOC from his policy (I'd check if he qualifies as a new (young?) driver though) or not insured at all. I'm assuming your daughter has a fully comp policy.

Named drivers always get the same level of cover as the main policy. I have never heard of a different set up to that.

Your daughter could be insured TPF&T on her policy and that would leave him with only TP cover for the accident.

[AndyNetwork]

Could also be that the imposed excess for a new driver is higher than the value of the car, so although not strictly 3rd party insured, to all intents and purposes, it is third party cover.

[LoonR1]

AndyNetwork said:

Could also be that the imposed excess for a new driver is higher than the value of the car, so although not strictly 3rd party insured, to all intents and purposes, it is third party cover.

Good point

[Drawweight]

Thanks all.

My daughter is definatly fully comp with her husband as a named driver.

The car is worth about 3.5k max so hopefully they should get something back.

It's probably just crossed wires between my 2 daughters but hey they might grow up but you still worry about them..