10 causes of car insurance invalidation

Most people assume that if they pay insurance, their car will be covered in the event of a collision.

However, that isn’t always the case and if you haven’t been entirely honest with your insurance company, or have forgotten to share key information or have not read the small print, there is a chance that your insurance claim will not be paid.  Providing false information could lead to refusal of the claim and/or having a policy cancelled.

Swinton Insurance stresses the importance of knowing what your policy covers – and to steer clear of any future insurance claim mishaps, Swinton has put together a list of common car insurance invalidation causes which are likely to invalidate your policy:

10 common causes of car insurance invalidation: 

1. Lying about your primary address – it’s vital to be completely honest on every detail of your insurance application.
2. Not informing your insurer about any car modifications – by advising the insurer, they can tell you whether or not they are happy to cover your vehicle.
3. Not informing your insurance company of minor accidents – even minor accidents can impact on your insurance risk, by not declaring that ‘minor bump’, your insurer will feel you have withheld relevant information when applying for insurance.
4. Young first-time drivers using a low-risk driver such a parent or partner to be the main policy driver and adding themselves as a named driver to keep insurance costs down.  Young drivers are a higher risk and higher premiums reflect this.  Any dishonesty could affect the validity of your claim.
5. Driving with pets – If you crash with an unsecured pet in the car, your insurance company will likely refuse to pay for your claim.  It is also illegal to drive with an unrestrained pet in your car.
6. Letting other people drive your car – you should always check whether drivers of your car are insured before letting them drive.
7. Recently changing jobs – when changing career, you change the risk for the insurer and therefore you should notify them of any changes accordingly.
8. Wearing high heels or flip flops while driving – many drivers are surprised to learn that inadequate footwear can contribute to your accident risk and therefore wearing comfortable footwear for driving is recommended.
9. Leaving your car unlocked – if you leave your car unlocked, you are not covered if it is stolen.
10. Attaching fluffy dice, or another object, to the rear-view mirror – these are a driver distraction but also can cause the mirror to fall suddenly – save them for your home!

If in doubt, rather than assume coverage is guaranteed on paying the premium, it’s better to call your insurer and clarify where you stand.