I Did Not Know I Wasn’t Covered

Question:

I rung your office on Friday and they advised me you may be able to help advise me on a situation I have found myself in. I’m really worried and concerned about the situation I find myself in and would really appreciate it if you could get back to me as promptly as you could.

On the x I was involved in an accident, I take full blame for the accident as I went into the back of another vehicle. No one was hurt however the other persons car was damaged. On returning home I dug out my insurance document and found out I wasn’t covered and it had expired on the x.

I had received a letter from them to serve as a reminder but my fiancee had put it in a drawer while tidying up without realising what it was.

I was paying in a Direct Debit so presumed it would just automatically renew. I know this is my mistake, however it is a genuine one. It is also worth mentioning that at the time I was driving my fiancees car, however my insurance policy covered me to drive other vehicles 3rd party. Obviously I can prove that and when my insurance ran out.

I offered to pay for the other persons car to be fixed but he insisted he wanted to go through his insurance. If I contacted them and offered to pay them for the full repair would they accept that? And would they then contact the police anyway?

My job does involve some driving as I occasionally am asked to attend meetings across the country. I’m also in the process of changing roles, and the new role would mean driving everyday and would be integral to the role. Without being able to drive I would lose my job. This is one of the reasons I’m so concerned.

I also have what I view to be a essential reasons I continue to be able to drive for my personal life. I can elaborate on these if you need me too. I’m just really worried I could be facing a ban. What sort of sentence do you think the courts may give me? Would I be looking at a ban?

Apart from contacting the other driver to offer a cash settlement I have done nothing further with this. His insurance company contacted me a few days after the accident, asking me to confirm the car registration however I did not have the details with me at the time. What should I do as a next step? Is there anything I can do at the moment that will help my situation?

I would really appreciate your help in answering my many questions and any advice you can give that will help me deal with this situation. I’m currently in a state of panic and I’m struggling to eat and sleep as the loss of my licence will have such a detrimental affect on my life.

Paula Says:

You need to keep communicating with the other parties insurance company to stand any chance of persuading them to accept the damages offered without reporting it to the police. Having said that I think they will. The other party will probably claim some compensation for whiplash so the damages sought could be a good few thousand I’m afraid.

You are going to be facing 6-8 points if they report you and if it is a first offence you should be able to avoid a ban unless you are a new driver and you are at risk of revocation. How long have you been driving?

Would you like my help with this matter. Have you heard anything from the insurance company/police since your email?