Insurance void?

[Ladybird206]

Hi guys,

Please could I have some advice?
I'm a named driver on my elderly dads car and I used it to go and pick a parcel up for him last week.
Unfortunately I had a minor bump en route (horrified I have been driving 20+ years and this is a first! Also my fault 😢)
The problem is that upon checking the policy documents everything is in order except I changed my surname a couple of years back and my dad didn't twig on the renewal as he's known me as the name on the policy for almost 40 years !
Daft I know but a genuine oversight by my dad and this is the only thing that is different. He's had the policy a number of years just made a genuine oversight on reading the renewal docs.
I'm devastated that I bumped his car and even more so at the thought that the insurance might try and avoid paying out. He doesn't have much money and the other guy involved is quite clearly going to try to claim that he's injured even though the bump was so minor there isn't a mark on my dads car.
Will this affect the policy/claim do you think?

Thank you.

[paul789]

Ridiculous if this does turn out to be an issue. The risk profile hasn't changed one iota. The individual hasn't changed either.

[Glasgowrob]

If you have documented proof of the name change no

Your details are all the same risk is the same and as a genuine oversight it's not going to be a major headache might be a bit of a faff explaining things and sending paperwork too and fro though

[Ladybird206]

Thank you. My dad is absolutely terrified especially as the other guys insurance company have been phoning him demanding that my dads insurance company get in touch (they haven't even called my dad back yet for more details since he reported the bump!)
He's also had an injury claims company on already demanding details and telling him we will have to go to court unless he makes a settlement. It only happened on Wed! 😞

[Gary C]

Ladybird206 said:

Thank you. My dad is absolutely terrified especially as the other guys insurance company have been phoning him demanding that my dads insurance company get in touch (they haven't even called my dad back yet for more details since he reported the bump!)
He's also had an injury claims company on already demanding details and telling him we will have to go to court unless he makes a settlement. It only happened on Wed! ??

Make sure ALL callers are referred to,your insurance company. Don't enter into ANY discussion with anyone other than your insurer.

And as far as the name thing, has your farther informed them about the name change, or has he just said the second named person was driving ?

[Ladybird206]

He just said he told them his daughter was driving.

[Ladybird206]

My dad didn't even notice the surname at all until I pointed it out when I read through the policy docs.
He still refers to me by my old surname as its the same as his 🙈

[CanAm]

OP, despite what some folk on here will claim, insurance companies do NOT go out of their way to avoid paying genuine claims.
Just let them know that you are Ms 'Smith', now known as 'Jones'. I'm assuming you gave your new surname to the TP.

[Ladybird206]

Thanks for the replies guys I can't remember what I said at the side of the road I was shaking so much I could barely stand up as I've never been involved in a bump before. I think I might have given them my dads name as its his car?

[Ladybird206]

Ok I have just looked in my notebook where the TP wrote my details down and then took the page out to keep.
The pen has marked the paper underneath and it looks like he's written just my first name & phone numbe then my dads surname as the owner? (Which is also the same surname that is on the policy docs for all of us)

[datum77]

As others have said - DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES get involved in communications, (either by phone or letter, or text, or email), with ANY claims/injury/damage companies who are JUST out to screw both you and your insurance company.
Deal ONLY with YOUR insurance company.

I have a way of dealing with unwarranted phone calls. "Are you familiar with 2 words with lots of "Fs" in them"

[Ladybird206]

Thanks they rang me and started to ask questions about what happened and I said 'Sorry I'll speak to my insurance about it' and ended the call.
My dad is unfortunately a little easier for them to bamboozle but fortunately he was not there at the time so couldn't tell them any details when they rang anyway.

Edited by Ladybird206 on Saturday 18th February 10:41

[Ladybird206]

Gary C said:

Ladybird206 said:

Thank you. My dad is absolutely terrified especially as the other guys insurance company have been phoning him demanding that my dads insurance company get in touch (they haven't even called my dad back yet for more details since he reported the bump!)
He's also had an injury claims company on already demanding details and telling him we will have to go to court unless he makes a settlement. It only happened on Wed! ??

Make sure ALL callers are referred to,your insurance company. Don't enter into ANY discussion with anyone other than your insurer.

And as far as the name thing, has your farther informed them about the name change, or has he just said the second named person was driving ?

He just said his daughter was driving. He can't remember if he referred to me by name when reporting the bump but if he did it would've been by the name on the documents. My driving licence is in my new name.

[Old Merc]

This happened to my wife.
I had her (when she was my girlfriend with another surname) as a named driver on my Motor Traders Policy.Just after we got married she had a 100% no fault accident,the policy still had her old surname.When the third party discovered this he made a big fuss claiming she was not insured.
It did NOT affect the claim and HIS insurer paid out in full.

[ZOLLAR]

CanAm said:

OP, despite what some folk on here will claim, insurance companies do NOT go out of their way to avoid paying genuine claims.
Just let them know that you are Ms 'Smith', now known as 'Jones'. I'm assuming you gave your new surname to the TP.

What he said.
Won't be an issue at all.

[Ladybird206]

Thanks guys. It appears TP does not even have a note of my surname just my dads the only thing that is different is the name on my driving license (which I've updated). Will they ask for my license?

[surveyor]

Presumably you have got married? You'll have got a martingale certificate. With this the insurance company will be quite happy you are the same person as your Maden name whichever your license shows

[Stuzza]

As far as I know you can legally go by any name you like as long as there's no intention to commit fraud; which there clearly isn't. Many married women go by their maiden name (e.g. In professional life) as well as their married name without issue as I'm sure will be the case here.

Edited by Stuzza on Saturday 18th February 12:52

[Ladybird206]

Thank you yes sorry i suppose that would've been an easier way to explain it I got married.
My passport is still in my maiden name and the last time I was married I kept my maiden name.

[ging84]

It should not make any difference to claim

The only time it would become an issue would be if not only was the name wrong, but also there were undeclared convictions or claims that would suddenly become apparent when the correct name was known.