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Top 5 Crazy Car Insurance Exclusions

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.

Be sure to read your policy documents thoroughly. If you are a passenger over seventy-five years of age, you may not be covered by some insurance companies. Your insurance company may not pay out if your have willingly given your keys to a thief through deception or trickery. A small number won’t cover damage to your car that’s caused in a road rage incident. If your car should be “written-off” or stolen, your insurance company will not pay out the full amount that you paid for your car, unless you have taken out gap insurance.

There are exclusions in every car insurance policy. Many of the exclusions would be extremely frustrating if they happened to you, and you then discovered that you’re not covered by your insurance firm. 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.This is a pretty standard exclusion by motor insurers – even if they have survived the blast themselves, they will not cover for damage caused by nuclear fallout.

This also applies to damage or destruction caused by nuclear explosion and also radioactive contamination – you will not be covered for these.

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. This includes damage caused by sonic and supersonic UFOs from outer space.

If you or your car come under fire from aliens whist happily pootling up the M1, it is unlikely that you will be covered by your motor insurance policy.As this type of aggression would be considered an act of war, this qualifies as an exclusion. 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 major car 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 spouse or partner, your children, your parents or a lodger in your home. The exception to this rule would be if your car was reported stolen and you went to court to prosecute.

Almost all policies purchased from major automotive insurers carry this exclusion.

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. Most notable for this particular exception is that which has the rather smart sea-faring gent as its mascot. Other insurers who refuse cover for earthquakes include Saga, Prudential, and Sheila’s Wheels.

Remember that it’s not only earthquakes which could be deemed an “act of God”, so do check your insurance policy wording. One famous Ladies insurer provides a breakdown service which will not cover you if it is an “act of God” which has caused you to become stranded, for example.

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.

This exclusion seems to apply to policies bought from almost all motor insurance firms.

Finding the best possible motor insurance cover can be a lengthy process?The first rule of thumb is not to choose a policy based on price alone. 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.

It’s not hard to find car insurance exclusions if you read the actual policy documents.

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.Most insurance documents are available on-line for you to download for your reference.

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 not intended to advise or recommend and should not be taken as a statement of fact. Make sure you get the full details from your insurer.