insurance claim procedures? please help

[jayl]

Hi i bought a van today and drove it 2 minutes out of the forecourt and a worker from a car hire company drove into the back of me, however i was on my way home (5 minute journey) to get the van insured as i was let down by my previous insurer. Am i covered by the van sales company for the 5 minute journey home?

The damage is to his car only and nothing on my van. Do i ignore this or do i contct his workplace and tell them i do not wont to claim or go through my insurance as their is no damage to my vehicle?

His work will undoubtedly go through their insurance as his car was a complete mess, if they do this do their insurers have to contact my insurance even if i have not reported this myself.

please help????

[sir.prize]

Your main concern is that it is illegal to take an uninsured vehicle on the road.

[boxtops]

I would say

1) no, it's your responsibility to insure it as soon as it belongs to you
2) it's his fault, it's always the fault of the person who hits the vehicle in front (unless he can prove that you were driving badly and caused him to hit you) - you would be claiming off him if there had been any damage.
He must have been going pretty fast to make a mess of his vehicle.
3) You can't report it to your insurers if you didn't have any at the time of the accident... but please be aware that driving without insurance is an offence, if it gets reported to the police you could be in trouble. IMO.

[jayl]

thanks for this, i know it was my own stupid fault for doing the 5 minute drive from the garage! but it was a moment of madness as the company i was supposed to be using and i phoned them 10 mins prior to the accident decided to increase the insurance by £400.

does his insurer legally have to phone around to see if i was insured.

i have never driven without insurance before and stupidly thought the 5 minute journey would be ok!

how much trouble am i in?