I was involved in a motorcycle accident in April 2011. The other driver denied liability but his insurers accepted he was to blame. My immediate losses were all paid. Because my injury might impact on my long term work ability, I followed my Solicitor’s advice to hold off settling until close to the end of the three year period.

However, my bike insurers are loading my premium as I have an ‘unconcluded case’. My Solicitor has confirmed that my own insurer’s costs were paid within six months of the accident, so it seems pretty obvious to me that there is no unconcluded claim against me. I very recently received a formal admission of liability from the insurers, via my Solicitors.

Gary, Hertfordshire

Answer

This is something your Solicitors cannot do anything more about. Your insurers are putting a false loading on your insurance just to make a few extra quid for themselves. As a matter of contract they can load you as they see fit. If your current insurers are dicking you, as they are, then I would go on to one of the comparison websites confirming that you have had a non-fault accident, and whilst you are probably asked a few extra questions you will be able to confirm that your own insurers have had their outlay repaid, and that there is no claim against you.

Then, once you have your quotes, check the policy and check very carefully that it has an underwriter you recognise. On the comparison websites, some of the really cheap policies are underwritten in the former Soviet Union or off shore dependencies. I would not want one of those. Personally, I always check my policy is underwritten in the UK. There is nothing unlawful or wrong about a policy being written overseas, but because insurers can and do go bust I would not want to pick a Ukrainian, Lithuanian or Gibraltarian insurer going pop. A UK insurer going under is a well-worn path.

It can be aggravating, but it is not disastrous if you have a fully comp claim against an insurer who has gone bust here in the UK. Also, be careful buying very cheap insurance. Usually the very cheap fully-comp cover has written in the small print that second hand parts of other salvaged bikes can be used on your machine, and you may well not be able to use a franchised dealer for your repairs. With insurance, as with everything else, you usually get what you pay for…

Andrew Dalton

www.fastbikesmag.com
May 2014

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