What happens to the named driver after the insured person dies?

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LL????

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Unfortunately my wife died suddenly recently and her car insurance is due for renewal soon. My eldest son (Novice Licence) has been a named driver on her policy for some time and I have separate insurance on my own car. Is it possible for me to be the main insured party on both cars or should I bite the bullet and let my son take out his own insurance on what was his mum's car that he will now inherit?

I know that I will have to do the legwork to get best quotes, etc but any advice here would be greatly appreciated based upon similar past experiences or knowledge.
 
DeeKie said:
I’m an executor. We contacted the insurance company. They said that the policy was still valid but now would be held by the executors.
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If this is an ongoing situation, ensure you have this in writing.
In the event you rely on this it could come down to a he said/she said scenario, not worth the paper its not written on.
 
LL???? said:
Is it possible for me to be the main insured party on both cars or should I bite the bullet and let my son take out his own insurance on what was his mum's car that he will now inherit?
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I am very sorry for your loss.

It is possible for you to be the main driver on both cars but it’s unlikely to be a good idea. You will have no no claims bonus on that policy. Insure your son as main driver.

Unless there is anyone likely to object to your son having the car just register it in his name. Many people never take out probate.
 
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I was in a similar position to the OP a couple of years ago. My late wife's policy was with Aviva and when I contacted them they informed me My son and I would be still covered until the policy expired.
 
123.ie, who sell motor insurance on behalf of RSA, set it out quite clearly on their website

https://www.123.ie/customer-care/what-to-do-policyholder-passed-away

The policyholder has passed away. What do I do now?​


What are my options for Car Insurance?​

If the policyholder passes away and had https://www.123.ie/car-insurance (Car Insurance) with us, you have two options:

  1. Keep the Policy Active:​

    • Named drivers on the policy remain insured until the renewal date.
    • Named drivers continue accumulating named-driver experience.

  2. Cancel the Policy:​

    • If you're the spouse or executor of the will, simply contact our Customer Care team on 01 524 6029.
    • If you're neither, we'll require a copy of the death certificate before proceeding.
  • Spouses who wish to set up their own policy can transfer the no claims discount. If this isn't required, we'll provide a letter confirming the named-driver experience.
 
Allianz are the same


Temporary additional drivers for the funeral period

We understand that the family may need to add drivers to the deceased customers policy for the days prior and week following the insureds funeral. Simply call us and we can add these drivers. Please note this is subject to our acceptance criteria.

Cancel or Transfer of the Policy

You can cancel the insurance policy if the car has been sold or if the spouse/partner decides to insure the car in their own name. We will transfer any applicable no claims discount or driving experience to the new policy. Refunds will be issued by cheque in the representative of the late insured within 5 business days following the date chosen.

Continue with the current policy

You can continue with the current policy until the next renewal date. This means that any drivers named on the policy will still be covered to drive the car until that date. The named drivers will continue to earn named driver experience during this time.

Suspend the policy

You can suspend the policy keeping fire and theft cover in place. During this time no one would be insured to drive the car and at the next renewal date we will issue a refund for any over payment.
 
LL???? said:
Is it possible for me to be the main insured party on both cars or should I bite the bullet and let my son take out his own insurance on what was his mum's car that he will now inherit?
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On the first point, it is indeed possible to have multiple vehicles covered in your own name.

However, if your son will be the main user of one vehicle, the policy must be in their name. Having cover in the name of an experienced driver while a novice named as an additional driver is the primary user of the vehicle is considered fronting and could land you both in trouble.
 
Condolences on death of your wife.

Policy in her name will remain in force until next renewal date. At that time, it should be transferred into the Reps of the Late AB.

You have a car in your own name. You can certainly put the other car into your name, but when it comes to 'who is main driver?', you will have to say it is your son. You cannot be the main driver of two cars.

Many insurers will give what is called an 'introductory No Claims Bonus' to named drivers for the number of years they have been named on the policy and (of course) are accident free. Some will actually give 5 years (maximum NCB) if you are named for a minimum of 3. Not all will do this though.

You will have to bite the bullet at next renewal; transfer ownership of the car to your son and ask insurers if they will give him an introductory NCB or better still, transfer your late wife's NCB to him. On a good day, you might get sympathy from the insurer!

Alternatively, you could contact a broker who might be able to get a quote with a different company, but still giving credit for the years your son was named.
 
Ravima said:
You cannot be the main driver of two cars.
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Just to clarify there is no limit on the number of vehicles you can be the main driver on, so long as you are not doing so to facilitate fronting. Those with campers, agriculture vehicles or collections of classics would otherwise have difficulty.
 
But in this instance, we have two cars and two drivers, father and son. Insurer will ask who is the main driver of each car. Father cannot be the main driver of both!
 
Ravima said:
But in this instance, we have two cars and two drivers, father and son. Insurer will ask who is the main driver of each car. Father cannot be the main driver of both!
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They absolutely can, with the caveat above that the father is indeed the main driver of both cars.
 
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