This might sound like a strange question...

[theREALdusman]

Hey guys,

I just have a quick question about a situation I had with my car insurance provider...

 

I'm an uber driver, and so I recently had to make a claim with them after my car was damaged and needed repairing .

They told me they can cover the claim and have it repaired, however they also told me that they would have to cancel my polocy with them after they make the claim.

 

I asked them why they have to cancel and they told me its because im am Uber driver.

 

I was just wondering whether this sounds fishy or do they have grounds for cancelling my policy....i mean, what difference does it make whether im an uber driver or not?

 

Would they still be cancelling my policy if I worked as an retail employee (or whatever), and had to make a claim?

 

Do they have grounds to do this, or are they doing it out of spite because I had to make a claim with them ?

 

What do you guys think about this? And what should i do?

Thanks alot.

[mustlovedogs]

Did you tell them you drove for Uber before the accident?

[theREALdusman]

When I started my policy with them I wasn't an uber driver at the time

[mustlovedogs]

When I started my policy with them I wasn't an uber driver at the time

 

So you never told them?

 

My understanding is they could even refuse to cover this accident. Driving for Uber is a material change in your vehicle habits and doing so requires notifying your insurance so they can properly adjust (raise) your rates.

[DancingFool]

No they aren't being spiteful, they are being quite nice to you if they are willing to cover the damage. What you use the vehicle for and how matters in terms of risk for the insurance company. It's why they specifically ask when you are applying how you use your vehicle, average miles driven per year, etc. You aren't using your vehicle for pleasure or regular commuting, you are in effect turning it into commercial use. That's quite a difference in use/mileage/risk.

[Lester]

There's language in your policy regarding changes to your driving habits.

Uber equals more miles than a retail job, therefore more risk of loss.

 

Trillion dollar industry vs. Uber driver. You decide who's really in the drivers seat.

[Wiseman2]

Did they ask if you used that personal vehicle for your Uber job or did you volunteer that? They may see using your personal and personally insured vehicle in a commercial setting as an increased risk. Yes they can drop you. You need to get a new policy with another company asap.

I'm an uber driver, and so I recently had to make a claim with them after my car was damaged and needed repairing .

They told me they can cover the claim and have it repaired, however they also told me that they would have to cancel my polocy with them after they make the claim.I asked them why they have to cancel and they told me its because im am Uber driver.

[katrina1980]

Deleted (wrong information - had not read all the posts before responding - my bad, sorry!!)

 

See my subsequent post.

[mustlovedogs]

OP, read your insurance policy. If it's NOT stated anywhere in your policy that your policy will be cancelled should you file a claim as a Uber driver, then they have zero grounds to terminate your policy based on this.

 

Insurance policies are often ambiguous and hard to interpret (which the insurance companies do intentionally to confused you, the insured, so they can terminate the policy or not pay a claim).

 

So you may want to talk to a low cost attorney or go to a free law clinic, take your policy with you so they can read and interpret it and if they discover that there is no language in the policy saying your policy will be terminated if you file a claim as a Uber drive, then your lawyer will write them a letter demanding they not terminate, or if they already have, reinstate you.

 

I work in legal and we do this for a living (represents folks whose insurance companies didn't pay a claim or arbitrarily terminated the policy for no valid reason).

 

It must be stated in your policy that they can terminate for this reason otherwise they can't do it.

 

On the other hand, if it's stated in your policy that they can, and will, then they obviously they have a right to do it. Often these types of clauses are in very fine print (intentionally), which is why it's so important to read insurance policies and other legal documents before signing the dotted line.

 

I would imagine they could terminate for use other than what they were originally quoted for, at the very least (I would think that qualifies as some kind of fraud)

[katrina1980]

I would imagine they could terminate for use other than what they were originally quoted for, at the very least (I would think that qualifies as some kind of fraud)

 

You're right I had not read the other posts before responding (sorry my bad!!). OP, disregard my first post.

 

Yeah you should have advised them of your changed status (that you are using your vehicle for business purposes ) which changes the terms and most likely increase your rates.

 

You're lucky they're paying the claim at all!