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Car Insurance After T1 Seizure

WolfieZero

Member
Messages
7
Location
Hampshire
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
About 4 months ago I had an isolated seizure that I believe to be caused by a catalog of errors in regards to my T1 diabetes (out of date insulin, over exercising and training, under eating, you get the picture). After going through various medical checks regards to brain waves as the doctors aren't 100% convinced it's diabetes as when I had a blood test done 45 minutes after, I sent my license to the DVLA and they've given me an automatic 6-month medical ban from the date of the seizure. So annoying as this was a waking low first thing in the morning and I'm uber careful when it comes to driving and my diabetes but I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry.

The only thing now is my insurance is up for renewal and I cannot get insurance for myself unless I SORN my car and get laid-up insurance or put my wife on my car as well (but that's just a nightmare with admin and no-claims swapping as well as she has her own insurance as well). I was wondering if anybody has been in the situation to somehow insure their car whilst waiting for their medical ban to clear and what they did to solve the insurance issue? My car is sat on the driveway but, obviously, it still needs at fire and theft cover at the very least.

Regards to me after the seizure, I've had CT and MRI scans that are all clear and just had an EEG scan as well, which was scary due to the possibility of causing a photosensitive seizure. But my diabetes is so tightly controlled now with fewer lows and highs and with me getting fitter, well that naturally came when I started eating better and focusing more on my diet and how that affects me and not pushing myself over-the-top with exercise. I've actually started to lose weight now where before I wasn't shifting it (possibly due to going low too much?) and feel so much fitter; but that could be more regular sensible exercising such as walking to the bus to work! But I should have known better before, being T1 since my third birthday and I'm 30 now!

So any help anybody can provide will be awesome. Thank you!
seizure
 
Hi @WolfieZero - I'm afraid I have no answer in response to the car insurance issue, but I just wanted to say a big high five for all the positive stuff in your last paragraph!

Am sure someone will be along shortly who is able to answer the insurance question.

 

Thanks for the kind words!
 
SORN the car and get basic insurance, no claims bonus will still be usable after temp ban is up. I had mine on sorn for just over a year, paid £80 for insurance, which was half of usual full comp and still kept no claims.
 
Shar67 said:
SORN the car and get basic insurance, no claims bonus will still be usable after temp ban is up. I had mine on sorn for just over a year, paid £80 for insurance, which was half of usual full comp and still kept no claims.
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Wow, who did you use to get that quote if you don't mind me asking? I looked at laid-up and the first (and only) company I tried came back at £230 for the year. Think this is the best route to go down for now.
 
Admiral, but it is worth shopping around and it depends on how high your insurance is already.
 

Has your current insurance expired? If not, just tell them you are doing a SORN and ask them to adjust the premium? I can't think if they will ask about your license status, but if they do, you should certainly be truthful.

Do you have anyone else insured to drive your car at all? Although the specifics of your situation aren't my own, I know my insurance is cheaper with my OH on the policy (he is 10 years older than I) than it is with only me on the policy (I'm well over 25, for the avoidance of doubt).

It's a funny old game, but it makes sense not to count your current insurer out.
 
It's such a pain!

Mine runs out at the end of the month, so I'm doing the calls now to find out who can do what. I've heard of being the main insurer still (so my policy with my no-claims), but being marked as a non-driver (or sans-license I suppose) and then having the named driver as the main. No idea if that's possible but worth a query I suppose! But I am cheaper to insure on the car with adding my wife, but if I was just to get my wife to get insurance on the car it's more expensive (testing it and adding me as a named results the same).

I'll keep you all posted as I think this will be handy for anybody else who finds themselves in this situation.
 
You're no claims should be good for two years. You may struggle to anything other than laid up insurance, as technically you don't have a license, so cannot be put on as a named driver. What's the car worth?
 
SunnyExpat said:
You're no claims should be good for two years. You may struggle to anything other than laid up insurance, as technically you don't have a license, so cannot be put on as a named driver. What's the car worth?
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Two years is okay, I'll hopefully get my license back in two months anyway.

It's over £10k and I'm struggling to find any reputable SORN covers, in that there isn't a lot of info on the ones I do find.
 
WolfieZero said:
Two years is okay, I'll hopefully get my license back in two months anyway.

It's over £10k and I'm struggling to find any reputable SORN covers, in that there isn't a lot of info on the ones I do find.
Click to expand...

Wolfie - I spend a few months each year out of the UK, and we SORN the cars when we leave. They are locked in their respective garages, and the insurers informed. Thus far, I have had no challenges whatsoever from mainline, insurers, like AVIVA, M&S, Saga (although you'll be too young for them). They just remind us to inform them before we consider taking the cars out again, on our return.

We just set up a reminder to do that a few days before we hedd back to the UK and off we go. It also reminds us to re-tax too.
 
WolfieZero said:
Two years is okay, I'll hopefully get my license back in two months anyway.

It's over £10k and I'm struggling to find any reputable SORN covers, in that there isn't a lot of info on the ones I do find.
Click to expand...

We spend time out of the UK each year, and complete SORN notices when we do. The cars are all snug in the garage, so it makes sense. We have never had any query, or premium increase with the mainline insurers we have been using at the time. Going from memory, that would include AVIVA, M&S, Saga (although you're not crumblie enough for them!).

What have your current insurers proposed for renewal?

I'm sure there have been threads about this sort of thing before.
 
WolfieZero said:
Two years is okay, I'll hopefully get my license back in two months anyway.

It's over £10k and I'm struggling to find any reputable SORN covers, in that there isn't a lot of info on the ones I do find.
Click to expand...

Have you tried specialist brokers like Adrian Flux?
https://www.adrianflux.co.uk/
or
Peter James
http://www.peterjamesinsurance.co.uk/index.php/products/laid-up-cover

They tend to do laid up cover for classics, but are adaptable normally.
Another one that popped up after looking at those two was
http://www.sorninsurance.co.uk/

Never heard of them though.
 
Right, I've managed to sort some insurance out!

So went through on confused.com and they have a section to say about DVLA medical aware "advised not to drive". Did that and a good deal with LV came up around £340 (other quotes been around £500+ taking into account the license issue). So I rang up and talked to the lady on the other end explaining the situation saying I don't have a license but I want to be the main policy holder and put my wife as the main driver. She said it was fine!

Checked a few more time and again it was fine, the only thing was the premium went up as my wife being the main driver.

Apparently they don't worry about the medical side of things. So I become the policy-holder and my wife is the main driver with the understanding I won't be driving, but when it comes to me getting my license back I just notify them and pay what needs.

Worth noting how helpful LV are and sensible about the situation.

Thanks for all of your help! Hope somebody finds this helpful as well.
 

I'm really pleased for you.
 
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