Motoring Discussion > Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Berisford Replies: 14
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New Mon 17 May 10 17:08 
 Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance - Berisford
Seems that I've been buying a fully comp all risks buildings policy from Prudential the last few years that covers just about everything except drunken idiots trying to drive through my garden!

Apart from the damage I've suffered I'm none to happy about the way I'm left to sort this out for myself. Contacting the driver’s insurance company is proving difficult. Their website is set up to assist policyholders, no help for third parties at all, not even an address, it's all geared (like the Prudential) to 0845 telephone numbers, that alone is a scandal at 10p a minute with a minimum 4 minutes listening to fraud warnings!

I can see this affair costing me money.
Last edited by: Berisford on Mon 17 May 10 at 17:08
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New Mon 17 May 10 17:11 
 Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance - RattleandSmoke
Saynoto0870.com

You may also find some contact numbers they don't want you to know about :)
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New Mon 17 May 10 17:18 
 Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance - R.P.
Rattle - I found that a particular good way to get at some debt collectors - straight through to their admin department ("HOW DID YOU GET THIS NUMBER" ?), when they wouldn't let go of an elderly client - equally useful was Companies House for tracing their Company Secretary's home address - turned the tables on them, got a letter couriered to him just as he left the house in the morning with his family - gave him a right dose of his own bully-boy tactics. Funny how that can make people feel as vulnerable as the people they target - there I feel better now...sorry. It was a joy to fund that little firefight myself.
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New Mon 17 May 10 18:21 
 Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance - Iffy
...when they wouldn't let go of an elderly client...

I've been to inquests where an elderly person has died in hospital or a nursing home sooner than they need to, largely because there was no one to stick up for them.

Older people are treated badly by some sections of society, unless they have a good advocate, such as PU.

If anyone gets the chance to do something similar for an older person, I hope they take it.

Back on topic, could I invite the OP to expand on the story a bit.

If a car rams your buildings-insured house, are you not covered?

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New Mon 17 May 10 18:52 
 Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance - mikeyb
Do you have legal expenses cover? Could you use this to recover your losses?

I guess you could use the services of a local solicitor to pursue this for you if you have the other parties details - dont some offer a free consultation to at least see if this is the way forward.
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New Mon 17 May 10 19:12 
 Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance - Berisford
mikeyb, yes I'll go down that route if I can't get any response from his insurers though if they have any sense they'll settle without the need for solicitors.

The policy doesn't have legal expences on it inasmuch as almost every possible peril is covered. In fact fences and gates are covered except when they are damaged by a motor vehicle or tree!

Trust me to get the only exclusion.

We'll see.

I'm really peeved though at the Pru for their 'not our problem' attitude. You'd think someone crashing through your garden would be the sort of thing you'd use insurance for!

All that money they've had off me over the years.
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New Mon 17 May 10 19:13 
 Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance - -

>> If anyone gets the chance to do something similar for an older person, I hope
>> they take it.

SHE... does the biz when things like that come to light, it's like lighting the blue touch paper and retire to safe shrapnel distance.

Well done PU, i'd have paid to witness that, i've been an innocent victim of them when NTL's ill named customer services couldn't organise the proverbial brewery session.
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New Mon 17 May 10 19:22 
 Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance - Berisford
>>
>> If a car rams your buildings-insured house, are you not covered?
>>
>>
>>
No, just fences and gates, when damaged by a motor vehicle, are not covered.

If I'd had a wall, not a concrete/wood fence, then they'd pay up.
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New Mon 17 May 10 19:28 
 Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance - R.P.
That's a load of nonsense - they should recover your uninsured losses - you've got the guy's details ?
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New Tue 18 May 10 00:22 
 Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance - Fullchat
Berisford you are the third party and have a direct claim against the driver of the motor vehicle.
Get your estimate for damage and forward direct to them holding them responsible for the claim. They should pass it on to their insurers.
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New Tue 18 May 10 13:03 
 Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance - Berisford

The wheels are turning so to speak, an e-mail to his insurers CS dept has resulted in some action, apparently a 'negotiator' will be contacting me shortly.
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New Tue 18 May 10 13:18 
 Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance - Mapmaker
I don't wish to be nasty, but you weren't insured for this particular incident and your policy very clearly states that you were not...

As Mark (RLBS) isn't here to point it out, somebody else should: all too often people assume they are covered for something for which they are not covered - and they should have bought additional cover.

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New Tue 18 May 10 13:27 
 Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance - madf
I don't wish to be nasty, but you weren't insured for this particular incident and your policy very clearly states that you were not..."

But the offending driver should be... and his insurance should pay.

Nothing to do with OP's own insurance.
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New Tue 18 May 10 13:29 
 Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance - R.P.
The other driver clearly has third party insurance as stated above you are the third party - I wouldn't bother with your household insurance until you have exhausted this route. Claiming off your Household Insurance can make renewal more costly - chase the driver !
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New Tue 18 May 10 13:31 
 Drunk Drivers & Buildings Insurance - Bromptonaut
If I read this correctly the policy does not cover damage to fences by wind or vehicles. This presumably relects the insurers wish not to take on probabiliites rather than risks.

The drunk bit is a red herring but the driver and thus his insurers are still in the frame.
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