Q: I am currently at college studying to be an engineer. As we live out in the sticks and to help me get around and to college, etc., my sister kindly gave me her battered, but indestructible and utterly reliable Kawasaki Z300 after she bought a car. To pay my way through college and help pay towards the bills at home with mum, I have found a job delivering takeaways from the Turkish restaurant in the next village. However, I’m not sure whether I am insured or not. My sister helped me get the insurance sorted out (she really is awesome) and got me fully comprehensive. Does that mean I’m covered for work as well? I think it does, but I’m not 100 per cent sure.
A: Hats off to your sister for being awesome, and hats off to you for trying to get some funds in whilst studying simultaneously. In answer to your question, the devil is in the detail, as they say, so you need to check your insurance policy and call your insurer, if need be, to see what you’re covered for. However, being a little bit (to say the least) older than you, I suspect you are probably not covered at the moment for delivery work.
Delivery work is usually viewed by insurers as being a higher risk and this in turn dictates a higher premium. Whilst it may be tempting, don’t risk doing the delivery job without insurance for a couple of reasons. Firstly, if you get caught, you could get penalty points or lose your licence, etc. A criminal record is never a good thing.
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Secondly, if you have an accident whilst delivering and your insurer finds out, they will likely pull cover and may well come after you for the money they have to pay out.
For example, a few years ago I had a man call me where his insurer had come after him personally for over £100,000 after he was involved in a collision with two pedestrians whilst riding not in accordance with his insurance policy. Unsurprising, he did not have £100,000 so they went after his only real asset, his house. It did not end well for that poor chap and family, all because he tried to save a few pounds with his insurance policy. As such, please do double-check and get the correct cover because the alternatives are not good if something goes wrong or the Police stop you, etc.
Thank you to Andrew Prendergast of Motorcycle Solicitors White Dalton for the advice www.whitedalton.co.uk
