Damage to towed car query.

[combwork]

Hi,

I was towing my daughters Citroen ZX with my Multipla on Sunday afternoon when a truck pulled out in front of me. I had to swerve; the ZX was on a fixed link and pushed the Multipla into a lamp post, writing the Multipla off. The ZX pivoted round the Multipla on its fixed link and ended up on the verge. The front towing eye on the ZX was torn out, along with the piece of metal it was welded to.

The Multipla is insured fully comp; the insurance on the ZX had expired. It was also out of tax and out of MOT (purpose of tow was to move it to my yard to store it off road. SORN was applied for on 1st September)

Damage to the Multipla is fully covered by my insurance; is damage to a towed car also covered by my insurance? Technically, the damage to the Citroen was caused by my hitting the lamp post.

 

[bandido41]

I could be wrong but i dont think the zx would be covered, i think you could possibly be liable for a fine due to a sorn car not being allowed on a public road unless its on a trailer?

 

[jug]

it is an offence to tow an uninsured and un-roadworthy vehicle, if your insurance company find out they may void your insurance and refuse to repair the Multipla. if the police find out they may take it further. i'd keep it quiet and be thankful you didnt get caught.

 

[combwork]

Thanks guys,

The ZX was roadworthy, just not road legal; within the last 6 weeks I'd fitted new disc's, new pads and a new osf caliper. Because the tax, insurance and MOT all fell due about the same time, it was being towed to be parked off road in my yard so we could fix any niggling little things that might be needed for the MOT (with a view to making it road legal on October 1st). Forfar Police who attended the accident seemed to take a very relaxed view. I told them tax and MOT had expired on August 31st (9 days before the accident) and that a SORN application had been sent away. I also told them the insurance had expired. In friendly conversation with them, I said that it would have been a lot safer simply to have driven the car from Dundee to Kirriemuir, but that it wouldn't have been legal. They agreed, and said that towing it on a towing bar (fixed link) was the right thing to have done; my daughter remembers them using the words "perfectly legal". One of them said that under the circumstances, they would treat things as a `road emergency', and once the Multipla had been recovered, give me the go-ahead to drive my daughters car the remaining 4 miles to my yard, and said my own fully comp insurance would cover this. The other said "hang on, the law's been changed recently; his insurance might not cover him to drive an uninsured vehicle" then the first one said it would be ok; that as it was an emergency they were giving me authority to drive it but to PLEASE not bend anything, as this could result in a claim against their (Forfar police) insurance. Basically, they were a couple of nice guys doing what they could to resolve the situation......

I take the point though; best not to push my luck with the insurers for the sake of a rather ratty K reg Citroen ZX.

 

[bandido41]

Did the truck driver that caused you to have the accident stop though?

 

[custard]

from a multipla post,no

 

[combwork]

Luckily I have a witness who saw the whole thing, including the truck driver sticking his head out the window then speeding away. The witness didn't get his number, but did call the Police and gave his name and addres, along with a statement to the Police at the scene.

 

[combwork]

They're going to have it repaired.

Yippee! Much to the surprise of everyone who saw the car (including the breakdown company who towed it away) the insurers have decided to have it repaired. I even get a courtesy car while they're doing it; can't be bad

 

[Hellcat]

Who was 'driving' the ZX? If they have fully comp insurance on another vehicle then the ZX was most likely covered at the time 3rd party.

Must say though that you were lucky to get 2 Police officers who were willing to let a few things slide. No doubt they could have stung you for having a unlicenced car on the road and having a vehicle without MOT on the road. Technically you're supposed to trailer unlicenced/mot'd vehicles without them touching public highway. Not sure if I'm going to be able to get the Tipo out the garage onto a trailer without touching the road :chin:


edit: Make sure you're 100% happy with the repairs. Nothing worse than having a car you're not comfortable with.

 

[combwork]

Who was 'driving' the ZX? If they have fully comp insurance on another vehicle then the ZX was most likely covered at the time 3rd party.

Must say though that you were lucky to get 2 Police officers who were willing to let a few things slide. No doubt they could have stung you for having a unlicenced car on the road and having a vehicle without MOT on the road. Technically you're supposed to trailer unlicenced/mot'd vehicles without them touching public highway. Not sure if I'm going to be able to get the Tipo out the garage onto a trailer without touching the road :chin:


edit: Make sure you're 100% happy with the repairs. Nothing worse than having a car you're not comfortable with.[/quote]

Agreed on all points. My daughter (22 years old) was piloting the ZX; it's the only car she has and she just had TPF&T cover on it.