Hay provides the following advice to prevent your claims from being rejected:

1. Maintain your vehicle: one of the biggest reasons for vehicle insurance claims being rejected is that people don’t adhere to the proper maintenance of their vehicle by keeping it roadworthy. Tyres need to be kept in good working order and replaced when the minimum tread depth specified by your policy has been reached.
2. Obey the law: if you’re involved in an accident whilst breaking the law you may not be covered. The prime cause of this is driving under the influence of alcohol or driving at excessive speeds, both of which may invalidate your claim.
3. Make sure the regular driver is specified on the policy: Another problem that frequently results in rejected claims is where the regular driver is not the person specified on the policy. Hay points out that if a 45 year-old parent insures a car in his or her name, but the regular driver is that parent’s 18-year old son, an insurance claim would likely be rejected. This is because the risk profile of the parent is completely different to that of an 18-year old with far less driving experience, meaning the premium would have to be adjusted higher to reflect the higher risk associated with the younger driver.

“You can’t try and get away with a low premium designed for a low-risk driver when the regular driver is actually a higher risk individual,” says Hay. “Provided they have a licence, it isn’t an issue if your 18-year old uses your car to go to the shops but if they’re the regular driver of the vehicle then that needs to be specified. The main lesson is to be open and honest with your insurer.”

By CAIRA-LEE

See Full Story at www.womenonwheels.co.za