Insurance question
Ok long story short I was working on my mother in laws car flushing out The coolant system, put it all back together and left it for her to fill it up with water (she was watering the garden at this point) anyway she didn't end up doing and sat in the car listening to the radio then going inside, leaving her keys in the car over night accidentally, (ill add here that they live on a property, house is about 150m away from a quite road)
Anyway it was pinched over night, and then two days latter found however with a cooked engine (not having water). So My question is basically is it covered?
Site Administrator
Just explain it was stolen and the engine had cooked itself, that's all they need to know.Originally Posted by Blazed1101
Diagnostician
Agreed, It was stolen, whatever damage is done to the car whilst it was stolen will be/should be covered under insurance.
If it's not a Symptom its not relevant, and if its not relevant I don't care!
Nil Bastardo Carborundum
A stolen car is likely to be abused and a seized engine would be the sort of thing a thief would do if he was flogging the car. Don't mention the empty radiator to the insurer because even if it had water in it, it could have been blown by abusive driving.
Slayer of Stupid Threads
Yeah like said, dont mention the lack of water. For all the insurance company knows the lack of water is due to the abuse it took while it was stolen.
What I would be interested in, is if it is covered if you left the keys in it. Ive heard of people being denied coverage when their cars have been nicked from servos etc.
we like the bun
bad advice. insurers have investigators who will have a close look at it and may (possibly) establish that there was no coolant in it. if you don't mention it, it will look like insurance fraud - particularly as it was stolen with the keys. be honest with them - you've done nothing wrong, although they will probably give you a hard time over it.
Slayer of Stupid Threads
Nil Bastardo Carborundum
Bad advice in your opinion. My suggestion was to say nothing. The assessor can look at the car and decide whether the damage was caused as a consequence of the theft. I agree with others that the keys being left in the ignition was a more serious issue from an insurance perspective.
Tells it like it is.
I'd go with the truth myself. Start with a lie (by omission) then it gets harder and harder to get back. Go with the truth. Was servicing the car, mis-understanding between you and the mother in law caused the keys to be left in there overnight at which time it was pinched.
Reaper
we like the bun
the insurance company is unlikely to see it that way. if they perceive that the claimant is withholding important information on the circumstances of the damage, they are likely to take a hard line. insurance companies aren't the fluffy bunnies you see in the tv ads, they will play hardball if they think they're being conned. why risk the whole claim, when he's done nothing wrong?
Make the stupid stop!
So they pretty much drove it away, no sign of forced entry and hot wiring?
This is where you will be stuffed for insurance, not the fact the motor is cooked I believe. They will just see no forced entry, cooked motor and assumed you just dumped it hoping to get an insurance claim. As Jules said, insurance companies will thoroughly investigate every claim.
Years ago my father-in-law drove his star wagon off a cliff in the middle of the night hoping to claim insurance as it was POS and he had agreed value. They smelled a rat, firstly with no forced entry or sign of hot wiring. He was a fencing contract back then and he had the van insured for private. He swore black and blue to the agent he never used it for work. The agent called into his place of employment and asked the Receptionist if he was about and added, I am talking about the guy that drives the star wagon, he does drive a star wagon? Of course the Receptionist replied yes.......... no insurance for him and investigated further for insurance fraud.
Nil Bastardo Carborundum
I'm going to agree here that openness and honesty won't get the owner into any trouble. I just hope he is insured with a reputable company. Leaving keys in the car is contributory negligence but it shouldn't prevent the company from meeting its obligations. Perhaps the OP should read through his insurance policy to see what the exclusions cover.
We have and will be completely honest, not worth being caught out bullshitting, she has spoken to the insurance company (nrma) throughout every stage, however what is stressing us out the moment is that they have refused to give her a hire car due to the "situation bring under investigation".. WTF does this mean they think it's a bullshit claim?? The car is worth well more to us as a car then market value...
Last edited by Blazed1101; 18-09-2011 at 10:16 PM.
we like the bun
mate the car was stolen with the keys. that's always going to be investigated. don't p**s them off too much, just play it straight.
Yea it's just a pain... They could be more compassionate then they are being.. I just hope that they fix the car.. It will screw us if they don't
probably
the car was stolen with the keys and the motor was cooked and would have no obvious signs of a water leak
what sort of car was it?
Make the stupid stop!
Why? Look at it from their point of view. To an investigator at this point it smells like yesterdays diapers for reasons already spelled out to you.
It's a Kia carnival. Market value is like a grand maybe two, I've been begging her to get rid of it for ages she just keeps shoveling money into it due to it being "her bomb" she loves it... The fact is looking over receipts for work done to it over the last 6 months she has spent over 4k on it.. There is absolute no way she would want it taken, u would think they would see it in that way
Make the stupid stop!
If an insurance company can find any reason not to pay out they will. If you can't prove someone stole your car then why would they believe you? Think about it, right now they are thinking as there is no sign of the car being broken into and hot wired that your MIL was out driving and cooked the motor. Now she is trying to hit them up for cash by claiming the car was stolen. Of course there is going to be an investigation, if they just took peoples word for it there would be cars "stolen" left right and centre.
More so they would look at the cash she has thrown at it and figured rather than spend more to fix it, she has figured it's about time she got some of her money back.
Yea but two grand is nothing in comparison to what it's worth to her, it's sad the fact is she loves that car, and she would of constantly kept pumped money into the car for the glimmer of hope that the car will serve her good for years to come.. I just wish I could get my hands on the f'n wanker who took it
Would agree with this...to be honest...that was was my first assumption when I read the OP.
See that would piss me off, since we have said the truth we could be knocked back for lying, but if we had of bullshitted it would of been put through?
And note if it was an insurance job i can hot wire a car blindfolded and the thing would be an ash heap not still whole.. The whole situation is just a pain
honesty is always the best policy just tell the truth and what happens ,happens!
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