Magistrate say....Why were you driving without insurance?

So you say....I thought I was covered.

Magistrate says......why?

You say...Eeerrrrrr?

Magistrate says......What does the policy terms and conditions say?

You say...Dunno I havent read them

Magistrate says......Have you contacted the insurance co to ask for clarification?

You say...No

Magistrate says....Why?

You say.....I didnt think I had to

Magistrates says....So what made you think you had cover at the time?

You say....I just did

Magistrate says......Ok I have had enough, you have been negligent in the eyes of the law, its a fine and points.

You need to take those documents to the solicitor and hope that buried somewhere in there is something that will support you. My own belief is that the policy (and the 3rd party cover) ended when your car was declared a total loss.

Slightly confusing, Is the car you where driving the written off car or another car?

I asume your driving another car i.e. 3rd party only.

The most likely reason you were pulled over is that the police computer system did not find the car as insured.

The reason that would be is if it not the declared car on any motor insurence policy. You say you have not added it to you policy even though you old is written off, and i guess no one else has either.

Read your policy carefully it common for the insurance company to require and the car to be insured on another policy before you can drive the car 3rd party only.

And it maybe worth while getting a solicitor as your issue is on a point of law.

It is the case that most private motorist policies have the car and drivers named on the policy.

3rd party driving another car you must read the small print as it's not consistant accoss companies. Some require the car naming on another policy before it's legal.

I always thought, in simple terms, a policy relates to a specified vehicle, for a specified driver or drivers. If the specified vehicle no longer exists the policy can only cease - and presumably any payback resulting from that is paid up. Line drawn in the sand, no further cover ?

My point precisely Andrew-T, the policy he had has ceased. He is no longer covered to drive anything unless via another policy. That is the norm for car insurance in the UK.

I believe that in the USA it is the driver who is insured not the vehicle. On the basis that you cannot drive two vehicle at once, this is a very sensible policy. If you have several cars then the premium is based on the most valuable vehicle. Makes a lot more sense than our money grabbing system. You could change your vehicle, drive a different one, buy a new one, whatever you wanted within the policy terms. All hasle free because there is no rigmarole to go through with an insurance company every time you wished to do something concerning your own vehicle or vehicles. Ah but that would be too simple, wouldn't it!! No free cash for insurance companies.

Cheers Concrete

>>That is pretty much it really. Nothing left to discuss.

You are wrong. Probably. A breach of Ts&Cs has a different impact depending on which part of the policy cover is being considered.

Simplistically an Insurer may avoid the accidental cover section but will normally have to pay and then recover their losses under the TP liability sections. Thus, he is not neccessarily uninsured.

But since the original poster has not come back with any more information, it doesn't matter very much.

Some insurers don't cancel a policy on a write-off - mine didn't after a fault write-off, they just suspended it for the two months it took me to order a new one and then continued the policy on the new car.

But being suspended, I would have assumed that the driving other cars cover was suspended as well.