Do I have to tell future insurers if a named driver makes a claim on my policy?

We have two insurance policies which are both in my wife's name as she has driven for a lot longer than me. Policy one is for a car with her as the main named driver and me as another which only does a couple of thousand miles a year. Policy two is for the car which is really our main car with me as the first named driver and my wife as the other. For about 18 months now I have been working away from home so have only driven the car on short trips home and my wife does not like driving the car so mostly stays with her own.

For just over a year now our son in law was added to the policy and since then he has been the main driver. Last week he had an accident where he ran into the back of someone and tried to settle the costs without using insurance which the other driver refused.

How do we stand with "shopping around" for cover for new policies for both cars? There will have been a claim made against the policy in my wife's name but neither of us were driving it or have had an accident.

Asked on 7 October 2019 by Rob Ellwood

Answered by Honest John

Firstly, you are incorrectly insured, If you are the main driver, the policy should be in your name. You should both have your own policy unless it is on something like a family policy. If your son in law became the main driver on your policy as you working away, then again, it has been incorrectly insured - the insurer could have "repudiated" the claim and cancelled the policy. When shopping around you will now need to declare a claim has been made, that will affect both policies, You must answer "yes" to the question have any named drivers had an accident in the last five years unless your son in law is now on neither policy. I would suggest removing him from all the policies and have him arrange his own insurance.

Tags: insurance claims insurance named drivers

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