Car insurer doesn't want to pay

[Member336569]

Son wanted to avoid a traffic jam and ended up in a pickle. He drove the car into an area and although the engine was running, he couldn't get the car out. He might have hit black ice as the outside was -1c. But insurer already said they wouldn't pay out. Having never claimed car insurance before. I would appreciate some advice. I'm the policy holder and he is the main driver.

Lol @snowybaubles

Me too!

Indeed. Is getting in a pickle covered?

If he was driving your car with your permission but not as a named driver then he will need to claim through his own insurance.

And yes they would need more information than ‘getting in a pickle’ to have anything to pay out for.

If it’s minimal damage claiming through your insurance will lose NCB unless protected and affect your next years premiums massively

Sounds to me like the car had engine failure and the OP thinks the insurers should pay for this.

The fact it happened while he was avoiding traffic is coincidence.

Maybe.

I would appreciate some advice

Then you really need to give some actual detailed information.

Having had a good chuckle at how much collective time this thread has wasted , my very first question for the OP (of many was:

"Are you insured fully comprehensively ?"

Because they wouldn't be the first person who managed to live their life not understanding the differences between the various levels of cover.

AJP only if you take the Getting In A Pickle option on the policy

Yes, known as the Branston's endorsement.

I'm not sure pickles are covered

Doesn't look like OP actually wants to give us any more information.

What a disappointment, after reading through all the guff about fronting we're still no further forward. Please come back @Member336569 and tell us exactly what happened.

Son is a named driver in the policy and he is the MAIN driver and I am the policy holder. I was very happy that I didn't have to lie as quite a few insurers didn't want to know when I put down son as MAIN driver. Thank you for clearing it up for my @snowybaubles. The car had a bit of scratch off the front bumper. Nobody or vehicle was involved. As he tried to reverse out, he just couldn't do it. In the end, the insurer sent a recovery vehicle to take the car to a storing unit.

As I got the wrong option whilst phoning the insurer to find out what happened to the car, a man operative told me that it could be mechanical failure and it would not be covered. I just want to know if this is true. Thank you for the comments and would appreciate if anybody having had experience with mechanical or engine failure share his or her experience. We had never had an accident before this one.

Still none the wiser after that update...

They sent a recovery vehicle for a scratched bumper??

I don't believe that mechanical failure is covered under insurance. It's for accidents. Yes, if you have an accident and damage your car mechanically that's covered.

If you go off road trying to avoid a traffic jam, get your car stuck somewhere, rev the nuts off it and knacker your engine you're not covered.

So there was no accident at all but there is a fault with the car?

If you can convince them that you span off the road into a ditch, etc and knackered your engine in the "accident" then yes they'd cover it. But you'd need substantial damage to the bodywork of the car to damage the engine to such an extent.

Sounds like you need to go to a garage and pay for a fix. Sorry.

I got my car stuck in flood water the other week and did nearly £300 worth of damage to the engine. I haven't even tried claiming.....I know I wouldn't be covered. I'm just grateful I haven't written it off.

OP go back to the beginning and start again

What exactly has happened?

Your son was stuck in traffic, so decided to take a short cut - what happened next?

I'm still none the wiser, what has pressing the wrong option on the phone menu got to do with anything. How does the man operative at the insurers know what was wrong with the car (ask for a lady operative next time)

Could you explain from the beginning in concise points?

Stabbitha is the only nice person here! Amen - one nice soul!

OP, I'm still confused. Can you say how the accident happened right from the beginning.

It sounds like the scratched bumper would be covered but not the engine as that was probably mechanical failure, like say if your gearbox or clutch broke, things like that are not covered as they are wear and tear unless it happens in a accident when the car is smashed up. The bumper would probably be under the excess amount though

I've no idea what's happened here
So someone got into a pickle and drove car somewhere couldn't get out and now has a scratch on the bumper? And the advice she wants is about that he is main driver on insurance is that it ?

How have I not being nice? I’ve tried to give advice and shared my experience......sorry if it’s not what you wanted to hear! 🤷‍♀️ I thought I’d been quite helpful.

Christ on a bike, what a strange thread.