With nights getting darker and threats of snow looming, it is important to ensure that your car insurance meets your needs should the worst happen and you find yourself involved in a car accident.
When it comes to car insurance renewal, it’s pretty easy to just accept the renewal without checking whether the policy is still suitable for you. We’re probably all very familiar with the differences between third party and fully comprehensive cover, but one of the most important things to check is what you say you use your car for – it may not be as simple as you think.
There are six classes for car insurance, as follows:-
- Social, Domestic and Pleasure (SD&P)
- Social and Commuting (SD&P plus commuting to and from work)
- Business (Class 1) – for travelling between offices, travelling to meetings etc
- Business (Class 2) – very similar to class 1, but allowing a named driver to do the same
- Business (Class 3) – for workers who frequently travel between business locations
- Commercial – for anyone whose vehicle is primarily used for business, e.g. taxi driver
A big mistake car owners make is assuming that they will be covered for using their car for work when they have a Commuting policy. However, what some fail to realise is that this policy only covers you for driving to and from your home to your place of work.
If you use your car for any reason to do with your work, you must have business insurance to cover that usage. For example, you may travel between different offices, meet clients at their homes or give a lift to a colleague. It could be as simple as travelling somewhere to drop off a file.
If the policy you have in place is not sufficient, you run the risk of your insurance company not indemnifying you. If you are found liable for an accident, you could then be liable to pay any costs associated with the accident, such as vehicle repair fees or even compensation for injuries to the other party.
The safest thing to do if you are in any doubt as to whether your policy is sufficient is to ring your insurance company. Explain your job and what you use your car for, and they will be able to confirm what type of cover you need. You don’t even need to wait for renewal – you can ring and change your policy for a small admin fee to ensure you’re covered straightaway.
If you’ve suffered an injury as a result of someone else’s negligence or deliberate act, contact us today to see how we can help you. We’re on your side.