i was coming home from work and i hit someone else’s parked car when i skidded on ice. i have since found out that i was not supposed to drive to and from work under a technicality of not using the car for work. however i don’t use it for work and only use it for the 3 minute commute, as i have a Sunday job. however the insurance company is saying that it will not pay out for both my car and the car i hit. its a 6 grand motor and god knows what the other guys car will cost to fix. basically im asking if they are within their right to not pay out and would i have to pay for the other guys car? i understand i should phone the insurance company but they’re closed for Christmas
You have to check your paperwork and if it says "cover for Social and domestic pleasure" then they are right in that you are not covered for travelling to and from work.
If your insurance cover says "commuting to and from a place of work" then you are covered. This means basically that they will cover you if you drive to and from a place of work, regardless of when and how long you work.
If you need to use the car for work, then the policy would have read "travelling to and from a place of work as well as for travelling for work".
Once you have confirmed what you policy is for, then you will know if you are able to claim or not but to be honest, the fact that they have refused payment must mean that they have checked your policy and have therefore refused payment due to the correct coverage, or in your case, none coverage.
KD
Most policies cover you for "Social, Domestic, Pleasure, & Commuting".
Driving home from work is commuting, and would not classed as "business use", which requires additional insurance.
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You need to read your policy and associated documents carefully. Does it cover "social, domestic & pleasure" or "social domestic, pleasure and commuting". Commuting (which means going to and from work) is sometimes excluded these days unless specifically mentioned.
I have commuting included on my policy as that is what I use the car for. Herself has a cheaper policy excluding it as it isn’t necessary for her.
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if your insured with one of the larger companies they usually have call centers that are staffed on the holidays and have agents who are licensed. If the vehicle is being used as part of a business (like used to make delivers, taxi, etc.) it should have a commercial/business policy and there is no coverage if the vehicle is used for personal use. But if you have the normal property casualty insurance vehicle coverage will depend on your type of policy. Coverage will vary by state but in general if you have full coverage (covers damage to you) your car should be covered under the collision section of your policy. Damage to other vehicle should be covered under the liability section (property damage) of your policy. Depending on what state your live in coverage can vary so getting a hold of your insurance company would be the best thing to do for more detailed info on your policy coverage
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If in the USA…..
"I was coming home from work and i hit someone….."
" however i don’t use it for work and only use it for the 3 minute commute, as i have a Sunday job".
When they say you cannot use it for work, they normally mean you cannot use it to drive to or from your job. If I am correct, it seems to me since you were driving home from work, you violated the rules. But……That would be strange because normally it is the other way around. That is, normally you may ONLY drive to and from work. (it is called an occupational license) That aside, If your insurance was valid, You would have had to have both liability for the other guys car and collision to have your car fixed.
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So, were you using your car for work, which would require commercial insurance, or were you commuting with it? Either way, it appears the usage was not covered by what you say the insurance is telling you.
If that is the case, and they are saying you were not covered, they will not pay. I’d suggest you get out your policy and read it carefully to see if you were covered. If it seems you were, talk to the insurance commission for your state, and/or a good attorney.
If you were not covered, try to set up a payment plan with the person you hit. Since the accident was your fault and you were going too fast for conditions, your own damage wouldn’t be covered unless you had collision coverage.
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unfortunately your insurance has the right to not pay out if that is included in your dec page. read through the original documents they sent you concerning your policy.
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Recently(last couple of years) it has changed and insurance only covers ’social and domestic’ you need to declare if you use the vehicle for commuting.
Check your insurance certificate to see if you are covered for commuting. If you are not then there is nothing you can do as you should check your documents when they come for errors and omissions. At the end of the day it is the drivers responsibility to make sure that everything is legal.
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You have to check your paperwork and if it says "cover for Social and domestic pleasure" then they are right in that you are not covered for travelling to and from work.
If your insurance cover says "commuting to and from a place of work" then you are covered. This means basically that they will cover you if you drive to and from a place of work, regardless of when and how long you work.
If you need to use the car for work, then the policy would have read "travelling to and from a place of work as well as for travelling for work".
Once you have confirmed what you policy is for, then you will know if you are able to claim or not but to be honest, the fact that they have refused payment must mean that they have checked your policy and have therefore refused payment due to the correct coverage, or in your case, none coverage.
KD
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Something is not right here, either you are not giving us the full story or your insurance company is trying to pull a fast one.
Driving your car to and from work is not classed as using it for work, most people use their cars to drive to and from work. if you are using the car as part of your work, say for delivering items then you are in breach of your policy.
Wait until the company reopens after the holiday and if they don’t help contact the insurance ombudsman.
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"I was not supposed to drive to and from work under a technicality of not using the car for work". Are you referring to a clause in your insurance policy or a restriction on a hardship license? Since you say you have a Sunday job I’m assuming you have a license that is restricted to driving to and from school. If you violated the terms of your hardship license you were driving without a license and the insurance company has every right to deny your claim.
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I’d suggest a quick consult with an attorney. Most insurance questionnaires ask if you are going to use the car for work. This means as part of your actual job. Unless otherwise specified, they should pay, as long as you were just commuting.
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