How to find out what company insures a vehicle?

[jamei303]

So to keep a long story short an insured drunk driver hit the house I am renting and supposedly due to the Data Protection Act only the arresting PC can tell me the name of the driver's insurance company, but he's not due to be back on duty to ask for a while.

Meanwhile I need to claim for hotel and storage costs that the landlord's buildings insurance doesn't cover. I could just collect receipts and claim from the driver's insurance company in due course but I'd like to speak with them now to know what they are willing to pay for.

I don't get why this piece of information is so confidential - people used to have fire insurance plates above their front door for example. Why shouldn't the world know who insures a particular vehicle?

Armed with a reg number, are there any ways to find out the insurance company?

[wibblebrain]

Isn't it amazing how the public sector has such a flawed understanding of the Data Protection Act.

fking inexcusable!

Morons!!

[ZOLLAR]

jamei303 said:

So to keep a long story short an insured drunk driver hit the house I am renting and supposedly due to the Data Protection Act only the arresting PC can tell me the name of the driver's insurance company, but he's not due to be back on duty to ask for a while.

Meanwhile I need to claim for hotel and storage costs that the landlord's buildings insurance doesn't cover. I could just collect receipts and claim from the driver's insurance company in due course but I'd like to speak with them now to know what they are willing to pay for.

I don't get why this piece of information is so confidential - people used to have fire insurance plates above their front door for example. Why shouldn't the world know who insures a particular vehicle?

Armed with a reg number, are there any ways to find out the insurance company?

http://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx

[marshalla]

Fire insurance plates were there so that the private fire brigades, run by the insurers, would know whether or not they were allowed to tackle the blaze.

Surely your landlord and his/her insurer can help you with your enquiry ?

[jamei303]

wibblebrain said:

Isn't it amazing how the public sector has such a flawed understanding of the Data Protection Act.

Yes!

ZOLLAR said:

http://www.askmid.com/askmidenquiry.aspx

Thanks, just what I was after. 4 quid though! Another item to claim back

marshalla said:

Fire insurance plates were there so that the private fire brigades, run by the insurers, would know whether or not they were allowed to tackle the blaze.

But they publicly displayed the name of the insurance company. People didn't seem to find that an objectionable thing back then.

[quote]
Surely your landlord and his/her insurer can help you with your enquiry ?

I shudder to think how long that would take when you add in the estate agent property manager and the landlord's insurance broker.