Quote:
Originally Posted by Dimis
Yes!
Details: Sometime ago dad had a 1970s Chrysler Valiant, driving one day in light rain dad ran up the back of a Toyota, after slipping on the tram (light-rail) tracks.
The damage done was light a tail light cluster and rear bumper for the Toyota and a spit polish for the bumper on the Valiant.
This incident happend in the 90s, car was about 20-25 years old at the time. Dad was comprehensively insured. He was left holding the bill, just under $1000 as the insurance company refused to pay the claim. Reason quoted: the nuts on the wheels weren't original oem. We argued the point to deaf ears. It was easier and less hassle to just pay ourselves.
I've no confidence that the insurance company would have paid had the damage been more substantial, despite the full comprehensive policy.
All I can say is lucky for me I haven't yet had to call upon my auto insurance policy, I dread the day. I've probably jinxed my shelf now for saying that. Doh!
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As Patrick alluded to, that wouldn't even come close to making here in the U.S....
I was in the auto repair business for 13 years before "jumping ship" to the insurance claims side, been doing that since 1994 and still at to this day.
I have worked an average of 1,000 auto claims per year since 1994 and have never seen an insurance company deny a claim based on something like "non DOT tires"!!!!!!!
If I was soo inclined to do and the insurance company wanted to, I'd bet I can easily find something of that nature to deny 90% of the claims that come across my desk.....the easiest one is to check the air pressure in the tires,if it is not at the manufacters recommend pressure one could argue that this was a contributing factor to the accident, how many people check their air pressure daily????? Pretty thin and unless the tires were flat a judge would throw that out so fast your head would spin.......
Any changes to a car from factory specs would be grounds to deny coverage,again,tire size,if it is not the exact same tire size as delivered,you have altered the car....
Once an insurance company takes you money and binds coverage there are a lot of "unwritten rules" that apply, if they continue to take your premium and bind coverage knowing there is a "defect" or possibly dangerous situation with a your car and do not make you aware of it and the possible loss of coverage, they are bound to provide the coverage and pay the claim....
Laws in Australia and the U.S. I guessing are vastly different, you can't compare one to the other......
Here is a good example,my own case: I have a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback,I have collector car insurance on it and have since I bought and restored the car in the mid 90's....To insure it, they required very good 35mm photos of the four corners of the car, at least two of the engine compartment/engine up close and 2 of the interior... Since the mid 90's I have raised the "agreed on value" of the car twice as it has gone up in value and each time they required new photos, no problem,I took them and sent them in and they agreed to raise my policy value to what I wanted.....
So now, they have had photos of the car/engine/interior since day one,if there was a "defect" they would have been obligated to inform me of it then and had me correct it or just deny coverage altogether, but since they didn't and have taken my money for all these years it would be all but impossible for them to deny a claim based on a "defect"....
Thank God, I have never had to make a claim and hope I never do, but I rest easy at night knowing they will pay should the need arise....
David