Former Owner Of Motorcycle Facing Big Costs From Fatal Accident Throug

[Konrad C]

Discovered this in another motoring forum.

The former owner had sold his motorbike, but forgot to cancel the insurance. Seven days later the new owner has a fatal accident. Due to some legal loophole, the former owner is now facing costs. The now deceased new owner did not have insurance.

So the previous owners insurance was covering the vehicle!

Read the following:

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/fife/fife-man-faces-crippling-costs-after-motorbike-he-sold-was-involved-in-fatal-accident-1.554725

[Uncle Buck]

Yet another case of the law being seriously wrong - it was up to the new owner to get insurance, not the previous one ! The only thing the original owner did wrong was to delay cancelling his insurance - a very costly mistake .....

[FROSTYBALLS]

Ordinarily, where a driver is uninsured, the claim would probably have been sorted by the Motor Insurance Bureau, who collect a levy from UK motor insurers to cover uninsured losses.

However, as the Motor Insurance Database would have shown there was insurance in place for this vehicle, regardless of whose insurance it was, it would have meant it couldn't be treated as an uninsured loss.

Because the person, Mr Bryson, who bought the motorbike was serving a four year driving ban, he wouldn't have been able to get insurance.

I suppose the insurance company view the non-disclosure of the sale and the non-cancellation of the insurance policy as a breach of contract.

Very unfortunate.

[korat102]

Unfortunate isn't the word most reasonable people would use. Once again. the law has shown itself to be an absolute monstrosity penalising innocent people for no reason other than some lawyers discovering something they can use to their benefit. When I changed car, I told my insurance company and was informed that both vehicles would be insured for the whole day of collection. That, presumably, meant I would have been liable if someone from the dealer I sold it to decided to take it out for a run and crashed it. An utterly ridiculous situation that brings the whole system into disrespect.

[Konrad C]

Basically I treat this as a reminder to look after your own affairs. The system can be unforgiving for minor errors. The law did not help the seller.

Still I think that the seller should not be penalised.

This is a wake up call.