Claiming on insurance for engine damage?

[King Herald]

mmm-five said:

Slinky said:

ERS Policy Booklet said:

This section of your insurance does not cover the following.
• The amount of any excess shown in the schedule.
• An amount as compensation for you not being able to use your vehicle (including the cost of hiring another vehicle).
• Wear and tear.
• Failures, breakdowns or breakages of mechanical, electrical, electronic or computer equipment.
• The vehicle’s value reducing, including loss of value as a result of damage, whether repaired or not.
• Repairs or replacements which improve the condition of the vehicle.
• Damage to tyres, unless caused by an accident to your vehicle.
• Damage due to liquid freezing in the cooling system, unless you have taken reasonable precautions as laid down by the vehicle manufacturer’s instructions.
• Any amount over the last known list price of any part or accessory, plus the reasonable cost of fitting the part or accessory, if the vehicle manufacturer or its agent cannot supply it from stock held in the United Kingdom.
• Loss of or damage to the vehicle by someone who got it by fraud or deception.
• Loss resulting from repossessing the vehicle and returning it to its rightful owner.
• Loss of or damage to your vehicle or its contents by theft or attempted theft or an unauthorised person taking and driving it if:
- it has been left unlocked;
- it has been left with the keys in it;
- it has been left with the windows, roof panel or the roof of a convertible vehicle open; or
- reasonable precautions have not been taken to protect it.

Can be found on page 17 of the ERS policy booklet here --> Right click, save as

So this clause implies if your handbrake cable breaks, or your throttle sticks, or your brakes fail, and you crash then you are not covered.

Which is the point I asked about: If something mechanical breaks/fails and the car gets damaged as a result, cam belt and valves, handbrake cable and tree, etc, are you covered?
I was told it is written in plain English:

Ozzie Osmond said:

"If your car is damaged, we will pay ......" (Direct Line)

So, when your car gets damaged they will pay. Job done, thank you, good night.

[_daveR]

Andy, Im hoping this is a hypothetical situation and you've not had a whoopsie in the Z?

[RichBurley]

I think that a few people are confusing "Insurance Policy" with "Warranty". Insurance does not normally cover mechanical problems...

[carl_w]

RichBurley said:

I think that a few people are confusing "Insurance Policy" with "Warranty". Insurance does not normally cover mechanical problems...

No, I think people are trying to work out the exact wording to determine what's covered. The intention of the insurer is not necessarily the same as their legal liability. There can be a fine line between 'mechanical problems' and 'accidental damage'. I know someone who claimed for a new radiator on their insurance as it was hit by a stone. But this isn't much different to the OP's bolt shearing causing valvetrain damage. Maybe the bolt was hit by a stone?

[Noger]

carl_w said:

RichBurley said:

I think that a few people are confusing "Insurance Policy" with "Warranty". Insurance does not normally cover mechanical problems...

No, I think people are trying to work out the exact wording to determine what's covered. The intention of the insurer is not necessarily the same as their legal liability. There can be a fine line between 'mechanical problems' and 'accidental damage'. I know someone who claimed for a new radiator on their insurance as it was hit by a stone. But this isn't much different to the OP's bolt shearing causing valvetrain damage. Maybe the bolt was hit by a stone?

There is no fine line. It is a totally different peril.

Accidental damage is caused by an accident. The proximate cause of the damage, be it a elephant on the M25 or a flying stone could not have been forseen.

A bolt sheering is not an accident, although it may CAUSE Accidental Damage (but the proximate cause is still the bolt sheering).

Sombody designed the bolt not to sheer. If they didn't do it properly, or failed to take account of that it might get hit by a stone, they they may be negligent. Or if it were not tightened properly they might be negligent. Or if it were not manufactured correctly, they might be negligent.

You can of course insure yourself against all of this. It is called a warranty.

[King Herald]

Noger said:

carl_w said:

RichBurley said:

I think that a few people are confusing "Insurance Policy" with "Warranty". Insurance does not normally cover mechanical problems...

No, I think people are trying to work out the exact wording to determine what's covered. The intention of the insurer is not necessarily the same as their legal liability. There can be a fine line between 'mechanical problems' and 'accidental damage'. I know someone who claimed for a new radiator on their insurance as it was hit by a stone. But this isn't much different to the OP's bolt shearing causing valvetrain damage. Maybe the bolt was hit by a stone?

There is no fine line. It is a totally different peril.

Accidental damage is caused by an accident. The proximate cause of the damage, be it a elephant on the M25 or a flying stone could not have been forseen.

A bolt sheering is not an accident, although it may CAUSE Accidental Damage (but the proximate cause is still the bolt sheering).

Sombody designed the bolt not to sheer. If they didn't do it properly, or failed to take account of that it might get hit by a stone, they they may be negligent. Or if it were not tightened properly they might be negligent. Or if it were not manufactured correctly, they might be negligent.

You can of course insure yourself against all of this. It is called a warranty.

Again, if the bolt breaks and lunches the motor, it is an accident, in exactly the same way that a handbrake cable snapping when parked and letting your car roll into a tree is an accident. I fail to see what the difference is?