How good is your car insurance?  Stephen Scully, solicitor and specialist in motoring law with Lanyon Bowdler solicitors, recently dealt with matters before Telford Magistrates Court involving clients who genuinely believed they were insured but it transpired they may not have had the required cover.

Today, lots of people secure insurance either by way of an internet search or over the telephone, and the policy they opt for is very often based on the most competitive quotation received. (If you'd prefer to Buy Local and speak to a person rather than a meerkat, see the bottom of this article.) On receipt of the policy paperwork, it is filed away and not given any more thought until the individual is unfortunate enough to have an accident or incident on the road. 

Often, if there are problems with a payment going through on a monthly DD, the insurers are entitled to cancel the policy.  The insurance company is obliged to write to the policyholder asking for alternative methods of payment; however, if the person does not receive that correspondence, they are none the wiser unless it is noticed that the payment has not being taken out of their bank account. 

In a recent Court case, Stephen Scully successfully persuaded Magistrates of special reasons not to impose penalty points for such an offence, and his client was dealt with by way of an absolute discharge and no prosecution costs were applied.

Stephen has also previously represented a client who had driven his partner’s vehicle assuming that he was covered by third party, fire and theft on his own fully comprehensive insurance.  It was only when the individual was stopped by the police that he realised that this was potentially not the case.  Unbeknown to him, the insurance company in question did not cover him to drive other motor vehicles third party, fire and theft on his own fully comprehensive insurance as he was unemployed. 

Without the benefit of Stephen’s assistance, the individual may well have found himself with between 6 to 8 penalty points, a financial penalty and prosecution costs for the offence.  In addition, his insurance premiums would have been increased - making him less employable in the future.  Fortunately with Lanyon Bowdler’s representation, the matter was successfully argued on the client’s behalf and after many sleepless nights for him, the matter has not only been discontinued but the individual received his costs back by way of a Defence Costs Order.

If you require assistance on any issue of motoring law, solicitor and motoring law specialist Stephen Scully can be contacted on 01952 211020.

To arrange car insurance through a Shrewsbury broker, please click here to read about Darwin Direct.