Five Crazy But Common Car Insurance Exclusions

Five Crazy But Common Car Insurance Exclusions

You buy your car insurance, you glance at the policy documents, and you assume you’re covered for all eventualities where your car is stolen or damaged.  Think again.

Ensure that youe have read your policy documents in detail.The over-75s may not be covered by some insurance firms for injuries sustained as a passenger. If your car is stolen as a result of you having been decieved into handing over your keys willingly, there is a chance that the insurer will not pay.Some will exclude damage which occurs to your car as a result of "road rage". You should always consider buying gap insurance cover for your car to protect you financially should you have an accident in which your car becomes "written-off", or if you are unlucky enough to have your car stolen: this is not something which is provided as standard in the motor insurance industry.

Certain exclusions will apply to all car insurance policies.Some exclusions exist which you may think should be automatically covered, and it could be frustrating to find out later that this is not the case should an unfortunate incident happen to you.  Some of them are downright crazy.  Five of the most crazy but common car insurance exclusions are:

1. Nuclear Fallout

If Britain was wiped out by a nuclear bomb and you managed to survive, you wouldn’t receive a pay out from your insurer for the damage caused to your car.  This is not only because the insurance firm will probably have been destroyed in the blast; it's because it's standard practice for motor insurance policies to exclude damage caused by nuclear fallout.

Should your car be destroyed by an exploding nuclear power plant or become contaminated by radioactive waste, the same will apply and you will not be compensated.

Currently this exclusion applies to policies bought from almost all the major motor insurance firms, including Admiral, Direct Line, Aviva, Churchill, Saga, Prudential, Sheila’s Wheels, and Co-operative Insurance to name a few.

2. UFOs

Most car insurance firms will not pay out if your car is damaged by pressure waves from aircraft travelling at or beyond the speed of sound.Sonic and supersonic UFO damage may be included in this.

If you or your car come under fire from aliens whist happily pootling up the M1, it is unlikely that you will be covered by your motor insurance policy.The term "act of war" could be invoked to classify this type of aggression.  Car insurance firms usually exclude cover for damage caused by war, civil war, acts of a foreign enemy, or revolution.

Currently this exclusion applies to policies bought from almost all majorcar insurance firms, including Direct Line, Aviva, Admiral, Churchill, Saga, Prudential, Sheila’s Wheels, and LV=.

3. Car Stolen by Jealous Husband or Wife

Motor insurers will not provide cover if your car is taken without your permission by any member of your household or family.This includes your husband/wife/partner as well as children, parents or a lodger in your house.  The only exception to this rule is if you report your car as stolen to the police, and prosecute the person who took your car in court.

Currently this exclusion applies to policies bought from almost all major motor insurance firms, including Direct Line, Admiral, Co-operative Insurance, Sheila's Wheels, and LV=.

4. Earthquakes

Fortunately for us Brits, the UK is not prone to earthquakes or tremors.  However, were the worst to happen and the ground opened up and swallowed your car, or even if a less violent earthquake shattered your windscreen, it’s probable that your insurer would refuse to pay out. 

A small but significant number of car insurance firms do not cover for damage caused by earthquakes.An insurer notable for this exception is most famous for its multi-car policies. Other insurers who refuse cover for earthquakes include Saga, Prudential, and Sheila’s Wheels.

Make yourself aware of exclusions such as earthquakes which may be phrased as "acts of God" by your insurance company.There is one specific ladies' breakdown service which comes to mind which will not be held liable if an "act of God" leaves you stranded by the roadside.

5. Blind Drivers

Unsurprisingly, there is not a single insurance firm who will provide cover for drivers who can’t see.  This is never stated explicitly in insurance policy documents, but insurance companies cover their backs by saying they won’t pay out for claims resulting from damage caused by “unlicensed drivers”.

In one instance, a blind driver with not a licence nor insurance (surprisingly!) was found to be behind the wheel of a car.  In 2006, 31-year-old Omed Aziz was banned from driving for three years and given a suspended jail sentence after police caught him driving on the wrong side of the road.

This exclusion seems to apply to policies bought from almost all motor insurance firms.

How do you ensure that you have the best car insurance possible?The first thing to remember is not to base your choice of car insurance policy on price alone.  Research what’s covered and what’s excluded by each company you’re considering.  Secondly, if the level of cover you want isn't available from standard car insurance firms, consider taking out extra insurance, such as gap insurance, from a specialist insurer.

Car insurance exclusions are usually not that hard to find, you just need to have a look at the rarely-read policy documents.

To be sure you’re not hit by a nasty surprise when you need to make a claim, make some time to read through policy documents when choosing your car insurance.You will usually find that your insurance company has a downloadable policy document on their website.

For peace of mind, you can always choose to take out extra cover such as gap insurance, which will ensure your receive the full amount you paid for your vehicle if it’s stolen or written off. You should be aware that the exclusions mentioned may not still be in place as insurers can change these at any time. This article is not intented to advise or recommend and should not be taken as a statement of fact. You should make sure that your insurer provides you with full details.

Getting a Better Auto Insurance Quote

Buying auto insurance is a necessity these days. There are two types of liability coverage that is property damage and bodily injury. The insurance now is so necessary even the distributors or the car sellers are providing the car insurance facility at their showroom also. There is a lot of competition in the insurance companies and this is the reason they provide different and additional benefits. There is a huge variety of auto insurances available from which one can make a choice.

There are many different things which may or may not get covered in the plan you opt, so take your time and please try to think seriously if the auto insurance quotes you are getting is the best deal you can get.

Keep in mind,  there is no harm if a person keeps an eye over the facilities and the services they can avail through their insurance policy. As per the recent amendments in the traffic rules and laws, this law has been passed that all of the vehicles should be insured. Usually before signing up for auto insurance quote people do not care much about it and even sometimes they are not aware that what they will get in this particular policy or plan. These are the consumers which are misguided by the insurance agents as these agents focuses on their commissions.

Usually most of the companies provide the similar matter but the thing, where they create a difference is in the style of presenting it and also they name it in a different manner or with a different theme. If one does not care about all these things then the entire invested in the insurance would be considered as a waste as the person would not be able to utilize the services because he is unaware. The easiest way of being aware of all the things is to know that what are the different plans available in this segment and which one suits your needs.