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Five Crazy But Common Car Insurance Exclusions

You buy your car insurance, you glance at the policy documents, and you assume you’re covered for all eventualities where your car is stolen or damaged. Think again.

Ensure that youe have read your policy documents in detail.   Some insurers don’t cover injuries to passengers aged over 75. Some insurance companies will not pay out if you have been tricked into handing over your keys to a car thief. A small number won’t cover damage to your car that’s caused in a road rage incident. It’s common industry practice not to provide gap insurance, so if your car is written off or stolen, you won’t receive the full amount you paid when you bought your car.

In every car insurance policy you will find a certain number of exclusions. Should you be unfortunate enough to have something bizzare or unusual happen to you or your car, it could be very frustrating at best to discover that your insurer won’t cough up. Some of them are downright crazy. Five of the most crazy but common car insurance exclusions are:

1. Nuclear Fallout

If Britain was wiped out by a nuclear bomb and you managed to survive, you wouldn’t receive a pay out from your insurer for the damage caused to your car.Nuclear fallout is a standard exclusion to be found in motor insurance policies.

The same applies if your local nuclear power plant explodes and destroys your car, or if your car is contaminated by radioactive waste: you will not be compensated for the damage caused.

Currently this exclusion applies to policies bought from almost all the major motor insurance firms, including Admiral, Direct Line, Aviva, Churchill, Saga, Prudential, Sheila’s Wheels, and Co-operative Insurance to name a few.

2. UFOs

Most car insurance firms will not pay out if your car is damaged by pressure waves from aircraft travelling at or beyond the speed of sound.Included in this is damage caused by UFOs from outer space whether sonic or supersonic.

If you are zapped by an alien laser-beam while driving on the motorway, your insurance firm is unlikely to cover your injuries or the damage to your car.  This is because such aggression would be considered an act of war.  Car insurance firms usually exclude cover for damage caused by war, civil war, acts of a foreign enemy, or revolution.

Currently this exclusion applies to policies bought from almost all majorcar insurance firms, including Direct Line, Aviva, Admiral, Churchill, Saga, Prudential, Sheila’s Wheels, and LV=.

3. Car Stolen by Jealous Husband or Wife

Motor insurers will not provide cover if your car is taken without your permission by any member of your household or family. This includes your husband/wife/partner as well as children, parents or a lodger in your house. This will apply in all cases unless you report your car as stolen and prosecuted the person who stole it in a court of law.

Most car insurance policies from the majority of motor insurance providers will have this exclusion listed.

4. Earthquakes

Fortunately for us Brits, the UK is not prone to earthquakes or tremors. However, were the worst to happen and the ground opened up and swallowed your car, or even if a less violent earthquake shattered your windscreen, it’s probable that your insurer would refuse to pay out. 

A small but significant number of car insurance firms do not cover for damage caused by earthquakes. An insurer notable for this exception is most famous for its multi-car policies. Other insurers who refuse cover for earthquakes include Saga, Prudential, and Sheila’s Wheels.

Make yourself aware of exclusions such as earthquakes which may be phrased as “acts of God” by your insurance company. There is one specific ladies’ breakdown service which comes to mind which will not be held liable if an “act of God” leaves you stranded by the roadside.

5. Blind Drivers

Unsurprisingly, there is not a single insurance firm who will provide cover for drivers who can’t see. This is never stated explicitly in insurance policy documents, but insurance companies cover their backs by saying they won’t pay out for claims resulting from damage caused by “unlicensed drivers”.

In one instance, a blind driver with not a licence nor insurance (surprisingly!) was found to be behind the wheel of a car. In 2006, 31-year-old Omed Aziz was banned from driving for three years and given a suspended jail sentence after police caught him driving on the wrong side of the road.

Policies bought from almost all of the major car insurers include this exclusion.

How do you find the best car insurance policy for your needs?First and foremost, consider more than how attractive the price may be.  Research what’s covered and what’s excluded by each company you’re considering.Secondly, if the level of cover you require isn’t available from your household name insurance firms, consider taking out extra insurance, such as gap insurance, from a specialist insurer.

In most policy documents, a proper read will reveal the car insurance exclusions.

To be sure you’re not hit by a nasty surprise when you need to make a claim, make some time to read through policy documents when choosing your car insurance.Take advantage of the free downloadable policy documents which most insurance firms offer.

For peace of mind, you can always choose to take out extra cover such as gap insurance, which will ensure your receive the full amount you paid for your vehicle if it’s stolen or written off. The exclusions mentioned may well have changed between now and when this article was first written. This article is simply a guideline and should not be taken as advice on which policy is right for you. Be sure to obtain the full details from your insurer.

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