Crosswords4 mins ago
Car Accident and No MOT
I need some guidance and advice.
I was involved in an accident which wasn't my fault on the 2nd June (However it has gone to dispute). My car was Insured and they have advised that it was a total write off. I thought I was covered as I have mark on calendar MOT renewal 18th June. They have now asked for me to provide documents and through this I have realise that MOT actually ran out 18th May. Please can someone help.
Does this in valid Insurance and what would I be Liable for.
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I'm afraid both insurance companies will claim that no MOT invalidates the cover. They will probably still pay any third party liability but you will not get anything yourself. For example if it turns out to be not your fault the other persons insurers will use the MOT as an excuse not to pay you. If it turns out to be your fault, your insurer will pay the third party but use the absence of MOT to not pay you, even if you are fully comp.
If you didn't have a valid MOT then your insurance company may say that the insurance is also invalid. If the accident was your fault then they do not have to pay ANYONE. In this case the third party could take up court proceedings against you.
If the accident wasn't your fault then you are not claiming against your own insurance, you are claiming against the third party's therefore you may still get reimbursed for any damage but I wouldn't put all your hopes on it.
At the end of the day the authorities and insurance companies will take the view that it is YOUR responsibility to know when you need to renew your MOT etc and are unlikely to be sympathetic.
I work for an insurance company so have a pretty good knowledge of this type of problem. To have insurance does not require a valid MOT certificate, the law does which are two separate things. Most people have this misconception. As your vehicle is a write off, the worst scenario is that you will have about �50-�100 deducted from the value of your vehicle in the absence of a valid MOT certificate!
I don't suppose there's any chance at all that you know anyone at the MOT test centre who could help you out? If for example you were 'driving to the garage' to get your car MOT'd at the time of your accident then it may help as it is perfectly legal to do this. I have no idea of the insurers position on this mind. Also you would have to say that you hadn't been using your car since the MOT ran out on the 18th and you would also have to get the garage in question to go back to their appointment book and put you in at a suitable time that would tie in with your accident. Sorry its a really long shot but you never know. In future I would ask the testing station to stick one of their stickers with the date of your next MOT on the windscreen so you're less likely to forget. I feel right sorry for you cos I missed my MOT a couple of months back but fortunately I have a mate who stuck me in his book every day so I could drive about until he had a slot for me. Good luck.
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