Insurance payout after police impound car.
Discussion
Just been reading an extraordinary story - a driving instructor had her car stolen by joyriders who then proceed to get chased by the police, and subsequently crash and one of the joyriders is killed.
Due to the police forensic teams retaining the remains of the crashed car for six months to carry out their tests, the insurance company refused to pay out until they themselves had inspected the wreckage.
So the instructor has no car, no payout and therefore no business and goes bust.
Is this normal for insurance companies?
Due to the police forensic teams retaining the remains of the crashed car for six months to carry out their tests, the insurance company refused to pay out until they themselves had inspected the wreckage.
So the instructor has no car, no payout and therefore no business and goes bust.
Is this normal for insurance companies?
Quote from the lady:
The lads who stole my car were caught by the police but they tried to blame the driver of the car on the brother who died. They kept the car until after the trial which took six months. My car at the time of being stolen, had my weekly earnings in the glove compartment, my mobile phone i use for work with all my work contacts was also in the car. All my training books, my roof sign, my advertising materials I kept in the boot. Because nobody admitted fault- it was now a case death by dangerous driving. the police kept everything, even my cash which was my mortgage money the following week. The insurance people weren't allowed near the car until after the trial. They had to prove who the driver was at the time of the accident. They took sweat samples from the drivers seat, the steering wheel and items that were left in the car- even my cash. The police kept everything. On top of this, the car was on finance, I still had to pay for the car even though I had no business. I had no savings as my marriage broke down the year before, and ncouldnt ever save with three small children. The week after I couldn't pay my mortgage, instantly my credit waiting went down, i couldn't get a loan for another car because I had credit on one smashed up in a police yard. All my pupils went elsewhere, I had no car! The insurance weren't paying out because they weren't allowed near the car. The banks said no- it took me three weeks to get a family member to help me with a loan in which time, all my pupils bare a few had moved on. Three weeks after the accident, my insurance policy was up for renewal and I lost my no claims. My insurance jumped from 400 per year to 1200 a year. I had to price down to £15 hours just to get some work. Then the rest is history. When I finally got settled from the insurance, six months later, they paid off the remaining finance on the car, and i got a cheque for 300. I wasn't able to have a courtesy dual controlled car after they stole it as it was nicked and not indeed in an accident. It took me one year to pay the arrears on my mortgage, and another five years for my credit to improve. But with everything else- when you slip once, you keep on slipping. Its been a long hard journey. I was told about victim compensation by a police officer who was a family friend 18 months after, but was one month too late. Nobody cared! They just think oh insurance will sort it no!
The lads who stole my car were caught by the police but they tried to blame the driver of the car on the brother who died. They kept the car until after the trial which took six months. My car at the time of being stolen, had my weekly earnings in the glove compartment, my mobile phone i use for work with all my work contacts was also in the car. All my training books, my roof sign, my advertising materials I kept in the boot. Because nobody admitted fault- it was now a case death by dangerous driving. the police kept everything, even my cash which was my mortgage money the following week. The insurance people weren't allowed near the car until after the trial. They had to prove who the driver was at the time of the accident. They took sweat samples from the drivers seat, the steering wheel and items that were left in the car- even my cash. The police kept everything. On top of this, the car was on finance, I still had to pay for the car even though I had no business. I had no savings as my marriage broke down the year before, and ncouldnt ever save with three small children. The week after I couldn't pay my mortgage, instantly my credit waiting went down, i couldn't get a loan for another car because I had credit on one smashed up in a police yard. All my pupils went elsewhere, I had no car! The insurance weren't paying out because they weren't allowed near the car. The banks said no- it took me three weeks to get a family member to help me with a loan in which time, all my pupils bare a few had moved on. Three weeks after the accident, my insurance policy was up for renewal and I lost my no claims. My insurance jumped from 400 per year to 1200 a year. I had to price down to £15 hours just to get some work. Then the rest is history. When I finally got settled from the insurance, six months later, they paid off the remaining finance on the car, and i got a cheque for 300. I wasn't able to have a courtesy dual controlled car after they stole it as it was nicked and not indeed in an accident. It took me one year to pay the arrears on my mortgage, and another five years for my credit to improve. But with everything else- when you slip once, you keep on slipping. Its been a long hard journey. I was told about victim compensation by a police officer who was a family friend 18 months after, but was one month too late. Nobody cared! They just think oh insurance will sort it no!
[quote=FunkyChucker]So she didn't have a business continuity plan then? [/quote
She was a driving instructor, not a international conglomerate.
I don't really understand why she did not just hire a car though rather than lose the business. There are specialists who will hire these out. On top of this, if a car was vital for my business (which it is) I would pay the extra premium for a guaranteed hire car (which I do).
She was a driving instructor, not a international conglomerate.
I don't really understand why she did not just hire a car though rather than lose the business. There are specialists who will hire these out. On top of this, if a car was vital for my business (which it is) I would pay the extra premium for a guaranteed hire car (which I do).
9.3 said:
Quote from the lady:
...My car at the time of being stolen, had my weekly earnings in the glove compartment, my mobile phone i use for work with all my work contacts was also in the car. All my training books, my roof sign, my advertising materials I kept in the boot.
Temporary/replacement signs - cheap....My car at the time of being stolen, had my weekly earnings in the glove compartment, my mobile phone i use for work with all my work contacts was also in the car. All my training books, my roof sign, my advertising materials I kept in the boot.
Replacement phone & SIM on same number - cheap.
Weekly earnings in cash in glove box of unattended car - brain-dead.
I suspect the payout was held up due to suspicion of involvement and/or fraud relating to the various losses around the car itself.
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