Exclusions on motor insurance if you are under the influence (2024)

FAQs

Exclusions on motor insurance if you are under the influence? ›

Significant exclusions and limitations

Drunk driving is a popular exclusion of motor insurance. If the insured vehicle is damaged in a road accident while the driver had consumed alcohol or any other intoxicating substance, then the insurance company will not pay for the incurred damages.

Death, injury, or damage sustained by nuclear accidents, war, or other catastrophic events are not covered by car insurance.

In most cases, the driver's insurance company is responsible for paying the claim of an accident victim, even if the driver was intoxicated or drugged at the time of the crash. However, you must prove the drunk driver caused the DUI accident before you can recover any compensation for your damages.

Driving recklessly or under the influence

Drivers need to exercise reasonable precautions when driving. If you drive under the influence of alcohol you are breaking the law (whether you are tested or not) and your insurer will decline your claim.

Exceptions limit the application of an exclusion such that it does not apply to the described circ*mstances. For example, an exception to the commercial general liability (CGL) policy's watercraft and aircraft exclusion leaves coverage in place for liability assumed in an insured contract.

The general exceptions in IPC include mistakes of fact, judicial acts, accidents, absence of criminal intention, acts done by consent, trifling acts, and the right of private defence.

For example, homeowners policies typically exclude coverage for flood damage, but this protection is available through a separate flood policy. Many insurance policies exclude wear and tear, since that kind of damage isn't accidental.

An exclusion is a provision within an insurance policy that eliminates coverage for certain acts, property, types of damage or locations. Things that are excluded are not covered by the plan, and excluded costs don't count towards the plan's total out-of-pocket maximum.

Will insurance cover my car if I was drunk? ›

While insurance companies are supposed to pay for your damage after a drunk driving accident, this isn't always the case, as stated previously. Many insurance companies want to protect their bottom line, and if that means paying you less, they will do that with no hesitation.

If you were involved in an accident that occurred while you were drunk, there is the potential that you could still claim compensation for this accident. The amount of compensation may be lessened if you are found to be partly responsible for the accident due to your drunken state.

If you have a DUI violation, your rate will go up. Insurance companies may consider DUI drivers as riskier to insure or even refuse coverage.

The personal auto exclusion applies to bodily injury to any insured while occupying a vehicle being used in the business of an insured, but does not apply to injury while occupying a private passenger auto, a pickup or van, or a trailer used with such a vehicle.

Insurers might limit coverage or deem a car uninsurable if its market value is too low to justify the cost of premiums, particularly for liability-only policies. The condition of a vehicle, including its safety features, impacts its insurability.

Thus, the general conditions of an insurance policy can be defined as the basic regulatory principles of the relationship between the insured and the insurer, that is, the insurance company. General conditions they usually respond to a standard model that Insurance companies apply to any insured.