Lending a mate my car - Insurance Q

[theboyfold]

I'm lending a car to a friend who wrote their car off the other day. What's the best way to insure it? We can either add them to my policy or they can insure it themselves?

Is it legal to have a car insured twice? Or is it best to add them to mine and risk my own no claim on the car?

[Alex]

He must be added to your policy.

[tonywilliams]

Short term car insurance. I believe if the car is already insured the short term insurance only covers him TP, your FC insurance still covers the damage to your car.

[theboyfold]

We don't know how long they will need it for, but short term could be an option.

[Ean218]

theboyfold said:

Is it legal to have a car insured twice?

You can insure anything as many times as you like, what you cannot do is make multiple claims for the same incident on all the policies!

[Davie]

If your friend has fully comp cover on his car, he may be entitled to drive others cars not owned nor hired to him third party. However, best he checks with his insurer to double check that. But yes, best bet is to add him to your policy fully comp and if he writes it off... well, that's a risk you'll need to take and if you aren't, well... direct him towards Enterprise (other hire companies are available)

Cheers

[theboyfold]

I think the policy on the car I was going to lend him is only 3rd party, as I wasn't planning on using it unless I had an issue with my 'main' car. I was trying to sell it but took it off the market as I wasn't around...

I'll double check when I call them later today

[zcacogp]

Ean218 said:

theboyfold said:

Is it legal to have a car insured twice?

You can insure anything as many times as you like, what you cannot do is make multiple claims for the same incident on all the policies!

Ummm, I thought it wasn't legal to have two insurance policies on the same vehicle, but I may not be right.

I'm sure people who know more will be along soon to tell me how very wrong I am ...


Oli.

[Noger]

It isn't illegal. You just can't recover more than you have lost.

On a different subject, be sure your mate checks he still has DOC cover when his car is written off. A lot of policies have specific exclusions for this.

[K87]

Davie said:

If your friend has fully comp cover on his car, he may be entitled to drive others cars not owned nor hired to him third party. However, best he checks with his insurer to double check that. But yes, best bet is to add him to your policy fully comp and if he writes it off... well, that's a risk you'll need to take and if you aren't, well... direct him towards Enterprise (other hire companies are available)

Cheers

You'll generally find with most policies that if you've written your car off then then driving other cars 3rd party no longer applies.

Also I've tried insuring my dads car which he insures on a separate policy for me and they said you can't have two policies on one car. This was a few years ago though.

[bqf]

No, having two policies on one vehicle definitely isn't illegal. However, if you claim under one policy, and that insurer discovers that the vehicle is insured twice, they will refuse to pay your claim.

Private car policies have clauses in the contract detail around being the sole insurer.

[theboyfold]

Noger said:

It isn't illegal. You just can't recover more than you have lost.

On a different subject, be sure your mate checks he still has DOC cover when his car is written off. A lot of policies have specific exclusions for this.

Thanks.

I'm going to call my insurance co. tonight and speak to them and see what they suggest.

[warp9]

tonywilliams said:

Short term car insurance.

Definately this. You sound worried about your mates driving ability, with a temporary car insurance policy it does not affect your policy if he claims. If you add him to your policy it will.

[theboyfold]

warp9 said:

Definately this. You sound worried about your mates driving ability, with a temporary car insurance policy it does not affect your policy if he claims. If you add him to your policy it will.

I'm not worried at all. He's very trustworthy and he know it's on a you break it you buy it arrangement with me. He's leant me camera gear which is worth more than the car in the past, so there is a lot of trust there