insurance for importing motorhome

[Brian Kirby]

Mel

You've just said what I thought, but didn't dare publish!  I know scenario invention is unhealthy, and the kind of thing you can think up is never what actually happens. 

However: autobahn in fog.  Hold up.  You stop.  Driver behind stops.  Driver in overtaking lane doesn't spot the danger until too late, brakes, swerves, looses it, cannons into the car behind you, catapaulting him into you, and you into the car in front of you.  You, and the driver in front of you, suffer whiplash, and seek compensation.

Discuss liabilities, and the probable settlement strategies of insurers!  It'd be difficult enough if you had normal full comp!

Don't know what would actually happen under German law, but your German insurer would presumably say the fault was all that of the overtaker, so no third party issue to contest. 

The overtaker's insurer would presumably say he'd accept repair costs to the rear of the car behind you, but all other damage, and the injuries, are due to inadequately applied handbrakes on the part of the other drivers.  Hence the driver behind you is responsible for the damage to his front and your rear, and you're responsible for the damage to your front and the rear of the car in front of you. 

However, your German insurer won't play along with that game, and your UK insurer won't shuck out for the damage to your front end because he has no knock for knock agreement with the other insurers, and in any case also considers the overtaker is to blame.  You'd (probably!) get paid for your new front end and neck eventually, but you might well have to await the outcome of legal proceedings in Germany before liabilities were settled and payment forthcoming.

Fantasy, of course.  However, in the real world far odder things happen.  The only thing that can be said with some confidence is that you should be better off even with the liabilities insured separately in UK and Germany, than with German third party cover only and no UK full comp cover of any kind to fall back upon.

Roll on next June, say I, when this should all be superceded by UK full comp cover for the whole journey.  In the meantime, let's hope Mark and friend have uneventful journeys.