Insurance - Company policies and where do I stand?

[billy939]

Basically in December I got offered to put my personal car on my works fleet insurance. I'm 19 but they offered me to put a EP3 type-r on it for only £60pm, I wouldn't gain NCB but I thought it was worth the experience of having a car out of my league for a few years. Cut a long story short my Honda got flooded recently and I'm in the process of claiming on the insurance for it. However the insurers are not sure that the policy covers personal cars, only company owned cars, The car was placed on the policy by just emailing the plate to the broker and they put it on, no more questions asked, including the owner/keeper. The problem is, if they now say it wasn't covered properly because it was personally owned, where do I stand? I trusted my boss when she said that it would be as a personal car, as she thought it was, and I'm relying on the payout to buy and insure my next car. Is this the insurance company just trying to wriggle out of it, or am I buggered? And by saying the car was on loan as a company car so they had to insure it through the policy, would that ensure they paid out?

A rare case I know but someone must have some suggestions?
Thanks.

[McHaggis]

Ask for a copy of the policy from the broker. It will be clear.

Who is saying they aren't sure it is insured? The broker or the insurer? Insurers are rarely ambiguous.

If they decline the insurance payout, I would pursue your company, politely at first and then legally...

[Bootey]

It sounds as if the policy is a MiniFleet type of policy which generally would only enable cars to be insured that were either owned (outright or leased) by the company or by directors of the company.

Do you know who the Policy is underwritten by and I can check for you if you like?

[billy939]

The broker said that the engineers are checking with the underwriters. I'm awaiting a settlement figure at the moment, but I assume I won't get one if they find a loophole.
The underwriters are Zurich I think. Thanks.

[Bootey]

Depending on the type of Fleet policy they have here are the different policy wordings. Hope they help.

Small Fleet (5 - 14 vehicles)

http://www.zurich.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/FE5A22CB-6755...

Fleet (15 or more vehicles)

http://www.zurich.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/3949446C-A3A6...

and Employee owned Fleet (although i'm not sure if this is the policy they are likely to have).

http://www.zurich.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/ED8D9BCD-430F...

[billy939]

Thanks for that, I think I will need to see our own personal certificate of insurance to see if personal cars are covered. How do I stand legally if it was never covered?

[james_tigerwoods]

Did you get a cover note or something in writing to the effect saying that you're covered?

[billy939]

I did get a cover note but it was left in the car :/
However it is all good, I have just spoken to the brokers and the underwriters have agreed to payout, I will be getting my figure next week and hopefully will be getting my car the week after. Thanks anyway guys.

[LoonR1]

So let's get this straight. You decided to take advantage of something that seemed to good to be true without checking any of the facts first.

Now you need to claim its the insurers fault and they're trying to wriggle out of paying a claim.

Get real.

[Starfighter]

Make sure you keep copies of all the communication you had with the company on this as well. If, as you indicate, they offered to cover a personal car (with the implied cover for personal rather than just business use) then this would strengthen any claim you may have on the company. You need to get / review the full wording on the policy document and the certificate.