Admiral Insurance Drink and Drugs policy

Convicted Driver Insurance
The easy answer to that is… it depends!
There are different ways of categorising a vehicle as unrepairable and you will have to ask Admiral what category the loss was recorded as, and what the arrangement was about the ownership of the wreck.
The best explanation about “total loss” can be seen here:


As to the registration number of the vehicle, you should be able to get that from the police. They may just give it to you, or you can ask them for what is known as an collision or accident report for which there is a fee. Below is a link to the request you can make to Greater Manchester Police, as an example of what the process is.
You will see that the fee for basic information is £36.
Other forces may vary a little bit.

 
Hello,

I was done for drink driving October 2020.
With Hastings. They have just sent me an email saying they are pursuing me for the costs to third party which they say come to 114k, first of all there is no way in hell it would’ve been that amount as it was only my car which suffered significant damage and only minor injuries to other party, but I’ve checked the policies etc and I cannot find anywhere in there which says they can come after me for the costs, they have sent me an indemnity form etc. what should I do?
 
This is what I can find in the Hastings Policy:
Significant policy exclusions:

• Cover is not provided if you or any person entitled to drive on your Policy is convicted of an offence involving drink or drugs, or was driving when under the influence of drink or drugs when the accident happened.

and

General exceptions Your Policy doesn’t cover the following:
4. Alcohol and drugs
You’re not covered if an accident happens while you or anyone entitled to drive under your current Certificate of Motor Insurance Is found to be over the prescribed limit for alcohol in the country where the incident happens Is driving while unfit through alcohol, drugs or other substances, whether prescribed or not Doesn’t provide a sample of breath, blood or urine when required to do so, without lawful reason.

Neither of those state that they will seek to recover the costs from you. But it is clear that they will not provide cover if you are convicted of drink driving.
Under a requirement in law, the insurer is obliged to provide minimum third party cover when this happens, so they have suffered a loss.
Whilst the policy itself does not explicitly say this, and person or organisation who has suffered a loss, due to someones negligence, is entitled to sue the person who created the loss, to make them whole again (in other words, to seek compensation for the loss they have suffered)
So their argument will be that they have suffered a financial loss of £114k, it was due to your negligence and they warned you in the policy that you would not be covered if you went drink driving so they now hold you liable to make good that loss.

Given the huge amount of the claim I think that you should speak to a solicitor before signing the form, and maybe he / she can seek clarification as to how the payout got that big in a detailed breakdown. Unless you hit a Lamborghini, it is probably an injury claim (s).
 
Hello,

I was done for drink driving October 2020.
With Hastings. They have just sent me an email saying they are pursuing me for the costs to third party which they say come to 114k, first of all there is no way in hell it would’ve been that amount as it was only my car which suffered significant damage and only minor injuries to other party, but I’ve checked the policies etc and I cannot find anywhere in there which says they can come after me for the costs, they have sent me an indemnity form etc. what should I do?

Price has laid this out very well, they do not have to explicitly say they will chase you for costs in the policy documents. They have a very strong case to sue you for costs from the wording of the policy alone, they clearly state that "cover is not provided," if the driver is over the limit. Once those terms and conditions are accepted, the insurer are duty bound by law to pay any third party involved but can sue you to recoup what they have paid out.

My partners mum had a courtesy car for 3 weeks that ended up coming to just over 10k when someone wrote off her parked car. There are a lot more costs involved than simply what is paid out for a car. If the injured party is in a high paying job and missed a few months of work due to injury, their loss of earnings are accounted for too. You need to get a good solicitor and a proper breakdown, they may well accept an offer for a lower payment if it was made in a lump sum but that would still be about 50k. A cost which is extraordinary to most. I would be seeking legal councel.
 
My partner was in a DD accident (he was the driver) 11 months ago, the car was written off and he was quite badly injured. No other cars were involved (he hit a tree and a lamp post)
At the time he had a passenger who claimed £5,500 for whiplash and time off work.. 11 months down the line we have had an email with a consent and indemnity agreement in it from admiral.. can anyone explain to me exactly what we will need to pay back? I’m guessing the claim money but what else can they add on?
We have already paid for all the costs of road clear up/damage to lamp post etc (so far already in the thousands)..as well as paying off the rest of the vehicle as it was on finance (never again!!) as well as having life changing injuries that he is still affected by .. and of course his court fine and ban.
we are feeling so overwhelmed at the thought of what else we will have to pay so any guidance or help is appreciated, thank you!
 
My partner was in a DD accident (he was the driver) 11 months ago, the car was written off and he was quite badly injured. No other cars were involved (he hit a tree and a lamp post)
At the time he had a passenger who claimed £5,500 for whiplash and time off work.. 11 months down the line we have had an email with a consent and indemnity agreement in it from admiral.. can anyone explain to me exactly what we will need to pay back? I’m guessing the claim money but what else can they add on?
We have already paid for all the costs of road clear up/damage to lamp post etc (so far already in the thousands)..as well as paying off the rest of the vehicle as it was on finance (never again!!) as well as having life changing injuries that he is still affected by .. and of course his court fine and ban.
we are feeling so overwhelmed at the thought of what else we will have to pay so any guidance or help is appreciated, thank you!

Admiral will be asking for everything that they had to pay out on the claim, that's the injury claim, any legal costs, admin costs, anything requested by the council if there were any costs that you didn't already settled. You need to contact admiral and ask for a breakdown of costs.
 
Hello, I’ve just discovered this thread and I am in a similar situation.
I was involved in a DD incident, i which myself was to blame. However, I was the only person involved (hit a parked car). This happened in 2018. In 2019 I had phoned admiral in regards to their claim to make arrangements to pay the settlement and the gent I had spoken to had told me that it looks like the claim had been forgotten about and someone would call me back. I received no correspondence during this time.
Yesterday I had received an email with a final notice to pay £27k in 14 days before they pass this on to debt collectors. Before I contact admiral is there anywhere I can get advice regarding this as, like mentioned before I have not received any warning to this letter and I do not want to face the excess charges that come with debt collectors.
I unfortunately cannot find any paperwork that contains my original insurance agreement with admiral to see if there is any clause within the terms and conditions.
 
The Admiral policy does cover a clause that says if you are drink driving they will not cover your car and will see to recover any 3rd party costs that they are obliged to pay out on from you.
They normally sent a document to you asking you to sign to say you want them to act on your behalf, did they send this and did you return it signed?
Your best bet is to write to them straight away asking for a full breakdown of what the costs are for, and what they have done to mitigate their loss.
Then you should speak with a solicitor for advice. The solicitor would only do what I am suggesting anyway, but doing it yourself makes surethat they get a reply within the deadline that they have set.
 
Hello, I’ve just discovered this thread and I am in a similar situation.
I was involved in a DD incident, i which myself was to blame. However, I was the only person involved (hit a parked car). This happened in 2018. In 2019 I had phoned admiral in regards to their claim to make arrangements to pay the settlement and the gent I had spoken to had told me that it looks like the claim had been forgotten about and someone would call me back. I received no correspondence during this time.
Yesterday I had received an email with a final notice to pay £27k in 14 days before they pass this on to debt collectors. Before I contact admiral is there anywhere I can get advice regarding this as, like mentioned before I have not received any warning to this letter and I do not want to face the excess charges that come with debt collectors.
I unfortunately cannot find any paperwork that contains my original insurance agreement with admiral to see if there is any clause within the terms and conditions.
I have spoke with admiral and been given a figure of what I have to pay back, considering we know that the 3rd party has claimed £5,500 the amount they’ve added on top for scrapping the car and requesting police reports etc is actually quite small (around £600) and to be honest I was expecting worse after reading what others have said! Definitely ask for a full breakdown of the costs and follow up in writing either by letter or email to show you have requested it. Unfortunately as you went into another car that’s why yours would be higher.. I was also told over the phone that they are very ‘reasonable’ (lol) when it comes to payment plans.. but I can’t speak to that department until I’ve signed the form they sent (which I won’t do Until I’ve received the full breakdown in writing .. which they’ve said will be sent after 28 days)
 
Hello, I’ve just discovered this thread and I am in a similar situation.
I was involved in a DD incident, i which myself was to blame. However, I was the only person involved (hit a parked car). This happened in 2018. In 2019 I had phoned admiral in regards to their claim to make arrangements to pay the settlement and the gent I had spoken to had told me that it looks like the claim had been forgotten about and someone would call me back. I received no correspondence during this time.
Yesterday I had received an email with a final notice to pay £27k in 14 days before they pass this on to debt collectors. Before I contact admiral is there anywhere I can get advice regarding this as, like mentioned before I have not received any warning to this letter and I do not want to face the excess charges that come with debt collectors.
I unfortunately cannot find any paperwork that contains my original insurance agreement with admiral to see if there is any clause within the terms and conditions.
Thats terrible, sgsg15 and sorry to hear its all caught up with you after so long. I am sure you had almost out this behind you.

Have admiral sent you a breakdown of costs? Was the final amount a lot more than you originally anticipated?

Maybe its worth getting legal advice with the amount in question being so great.
 
I have spoke with admiral and been given a figure of what I have to pay back, considering we know that the 3rd party has claimed £5,500 the amount they’ve added on top for scrapping the car and requesting police reports etc is actually quite small (around £600) and to be honest I was expecting worse after reading what others have said! Definitely ask for a full breakdown of the costs and follow up in writing either by letter or email to show you have requested it. Unfortunately as you went into another car that’s why yours would be higher.. I was also told over the phone that they are very ‘reasonable’ (lol) when it comes to payment plans.. but I can’t speak to that department until I’ve signed the form they sent (which I won’t do Until I’ve received the full breakdown in writing .. which they’ve said will be sent after 28 days)
Hi Emily May.

When was your accident? Do you think Admiral would offer a reduced final figure if you offer to pay a lump sum rather than payment plan? I think I read this somewhere else
 
Hi Emily May.

When was your accident? Do you think Admiral would offer a reduced final figure if you offer to pay a lump sum rather than payment plan? I think I read this somewhere else
My partner had the accident in feb last year so just under a year ago. I’m not sure how much that would affect your final balance but I’m sure you will be able to split it out into affordable amounts, you need to make sure you get a breakdown and understand exactly what they are charging you for first though
 
Thats terrible, sgsg15 and sorry to hear its all caught up with you after so long. I am sure you had almost out this behind you.

Have admiral sent you a breakdown of costs? Was the final amount a lot more than you originally anticipated?

Maybe its worth getting legal advice with the amount in question being so great.
In all honesty I had completely forgotten about it! I’m only young as well so at 23 years old I can’t afford that type of debt on my hand. Especially as my credit history isn’t great so I’m unable to get any loans or mortgages to help me out. I do work for the NHS so I am grateful that I have a secure job in place that pays well but even so I can’t afford to pay anything close to that sort of amount even on a payment plan.
As far as I’m aware I can’t find any old letters from that time with a breakdown of costs from them, which I must add I have actually moved addresses since. However, I have been reluctant to give out my new address in case debt collectors do come knocking at my door. From what I can remember, the cost of the other car itself was no where near that amount and my old car that was written off wasn’t even near a quarter of that figure. Would it best best to contact admiral for a breakdown of the charges or speak to legal advice before getting this information?
 
In all honesty I had completely forgotten about it! I’m only young as well so at 23 years old I can’t afford that type of debt on my hand. Especially as my credit history isn’t great so I’m unable to get any loans or mortgages to help me out. I do work for the NHS so I am grateful that I have a secure job in place that pays well but even so I can’t afford to pay anything close to that sort of amount even on a payment plan.
As far as I’m aware I can’t find any old letters from that time with a breakdown of costs from them, which I must add I have actually moved addresses since. However, I have been reluctant to give out my new address in case debt collectors do come knocking at my door. From what I can remember, the cost of the other car itself was no where near that amount and my old car that was written off wasn’t even near a quarter of that figure. Would it best best to contact admiral for a breakdown of the charges or speak to legal advice before getting this information?

Just on the point of debt collectors and reluctance to pass on a new address, if your bank or phone contract is registered to your current address or you are registered to vote at your current address this is all your credit record needs to update. Debt collectors pull your credit file to get your current address, so sadly, being selective of who you give your details to won't stop them.

Your best to get a breakdown of costs before seeking legal advice, however, the only legal advice that may be offered here is that this was within the terms of a contract you accepted the only thing a solicitor will be able to do is negotiate on your behalf and normally negotiation is only available for a lump sum settlement. They may also be able to negotiate on some charges on the breakdown if they seem inflated, but you would need that breakdown first.
 
To those who have been caught up with Admirals clause - did Admiral release proof of no claims bonus before the payment for the claim was made in full?
 
To those who have been caught up with Admirals clause - did Admiral release proof of no claims bonus before the payment for the claim was made in full?

Allianz would not issue mine until the claim status was updated to closed. I think it depends on whether Admiral closes the claim and then seeks payment or if they leave it open until they recover costs.
 
Haven't been on here for a while. The notifications seemed to have stopped.

A couple of reminders for people.

Firstly. The current Admiral exclusion clause says:

'No cover under the policy will be given and instead, liability will be restricted to meeting the obligations as required by Road Traffic Law and we will cancel your policy'

This changed in September 2020 after the FoS gave their interpretation of how it should work. Admiral had apparently got it wrong for many years.

When Admiral provide no cover and cancel the policy you are treated like an uninsured driver. Admiral's role becomes the Article 75 insurer not the Road Traffic Act (RTA) insurer - that was the main difference the FoS pointed out.
The Fos decision is HERE and it shows how woolly and complicated this is.

AIUI the Section 75 insurer is obliged the settle the 3rd party claim after the 3rd party has taken you to court and secured a County Court Judgment against you. This can only apply to the driver, not the policyholder.

I don't know for sure but this change might help people being pursued under the earlier exclusion clause. It certainly removes the Policyholder from liability.

What Admiral have now been doing is getting the Third Party to sign an agreement to allow them to settle the claim directly with the third party. Admiral usually do this without consulting you and claim it helps keep the costs down.
They also ask you to sign an Indemnity form to accept liability for the claim.

Secondly, Make sure you know the difference between Debt Collectors and Enforcement Agents (Bailiffs).
Debt Collector v Bailiffs Difference
 
Last edited:
Haven't been on here for a while. The notifications seemed to have stopped.

A couple of reminders for people.

Firstly. The current Admiral exclusion clause says:



This changed in September 2020 after the FoS gave their interpretation of how it should work. Admiral had apparently got it wrong for many years.

When Admiral provide no cover and cancel the policy you are treated like an uninsured driver. Admiral's role becomes the Article 75 insurer not the Road Traffic Act (RTA) insurer - that was the main difference the FoS pointed out.
The Fos decision is HERE and it shows how woolly and complicated this is.

AIUI the Section 75 insurer is obliged the settle the 3rd party claim after the 3rd party has taken you to court and secured a County Court Judgment against you. This can only apply to the driver, not the policyholder.

I don't know for sure but this change might help people being pursued under the earlier exclusion clause. It certainly removes the Policyholder from liability.

What Admiral have now been doing is getting the Third Party to sign an agreement to allow them to settle the claim directly with the third party. Admiral usually do this without consulting you and claim it helps keep the costs down.
They also ask you to sign an Indemnity form to accept liability for the claim.

Secondly, Make sure you know the difference between Debt Collectors and Enforcement Agents (Bailiffs).
Debt Collector v Bailiffs Difference
Thanks Depressed dad.

Still awaiting my bill from admiral. I can see through my wifes account the third parties have been paid £8,400 but no letters from Admiral yet since the incident late March last year.

Keeping my head low for now and trying to save for it.

Will keep all posted about how admiral want to proceed once this catches up with me.
 
Very interesting reading this thread.
Can anyone who knows explain to me if my insurance company can refuse to pay out on a claim. The claim is for a crash i had last year whilst dd. However never got charged.
 
Hi Jon1123.

Who was your insurer? If they were aware of the nature of the incident then most likely will have laid out to the third party for costs.

It seems like some companies have either caught up with people in under a year to recover costs, but for others, nothing has materialised for over a year or two.

Can anyone who knows explain to me if my insurance company can refuse to pay out on a claim. The claim is for a crash i had last year whilst dd. However never got charged.
 
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