Hiring a minibus to take dd's friends with us - liable in the event of an accident?

[hmc]

Am planning on hiring minibus to take dd's friends out for her party (we are at two venues - one for the party and one for the meal). If the unthinkable happens and we are in a road traffic accident and someone gets injured or worse, could we find ourselves financially liable thousands of pounds worth of compensation?

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You would have to get insurance I imagine for all of the passengers? Otherwise if you have an accident which is your fault, you would be liable (technically you remain liable even with insurance, but if you are insured for the passengers, the ins company would pay out). If it was someone else's fault that person would be liable, but there might be a dispute and it could end up in court. I would look at the insurance position - can you get cover for the passnegers in the minibus...

I suppose the best thing to do is phone my current insurers. Thanks blouse

I don't think you'd be any more liable in a hired minibus than you would be if you took them out in your own car. I suppose if something happened because you had been grossly negligent when taking someone else's children out you might be legally/financially responsible, but I don't think the hired minibus makes any difference to that.

Yes, AMum is right to an extent, but if you have someone's kids in your own car / a car you hire and you are negligent (doesn't have to be "grossly" negligent - just meet the legal test for negligence), you will be liable for any loss or injuries caused. Ringing your insurers sounds exactly the right thing to do.

No need to check with your insurers. For a start, you won't usually be driving the minibus on your own insurance - that only covers you for your car. Normal practise is that when you hire a vehicle you also pay for insurance. As with any form of vehicle insurance, this covers your passengers unless they are your employees. It will pay out if someone gets injured or worse. That is a requirement of the Road Traffic Act.

The one thing you must be careful of in this situation is that you are not charging your DD's friends for the minibus in any way, otherwise you need a special permit.

Yes, doh, prh is right, your mandatory "third party" insurance does cover passengers...

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/WhatCanYouDriveAndYourObligations/DG_4022498

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/WhatCanYouDriveAndYourObligations/DG_4022619

Excellent feedback - thanks, you have put my mind at rest