DON’T FORGET THE DETAIL

My partner had a crash in my car not so long ago and while that was shocking, and thankfully he was OK, what was more shocking was how easy it was for me to be caught paying the full bill for the crash with an uninsured driver.

He was driving along a quiet street when a young driver reversed into the side of my car. While the damage was minor, the young driver didn’t have insurance and hadn’t changed the registration to their name.

This situation is more common than you might think, with young Queenslanders two times more likely not to have a basic understanding of car insurance. When the young driver realised the predicament they were in, uninsured and at-fault for causing damage, they tried to offer my partner cash. My partner called me, and I told him to not accept any cash and instead take down all their details, as I would call my insurer to make a claim.

When I called to lodge a claim and my insurer asked for the at-fault driver’s home address, we realised my partner had forgotten to take a photograph of the back of the other driver’s licence. Because of this simple mistake, I was now liable to cover my excess and lose my no-claim bonus. Luckily, after several phone calls the at-fault driver did the right thing and provided their address.

Crashes can happen at any time and are usually stressful situations, but by getting as many details as you can, you could prevent a massive shock to your hip pocket.