The car policy: the insurance contract

Many drivers place blind trust in their broker and do not bother to find out what all that pile of papers that they give us when hiring a Car Insurance policy says . It is a mistake to ignore the fundamental points of the contract in which the guarantees and exclusions that cover our vehicle are established.

That beautiful folder that we keep in the glove compartment of the car can go months without opening and when a problem arises, with the nerves of that moment, we have doubts about what coverage we have or if this or that case falls under the guarantee. Sometimes it is even difficult for us to find the data of the insurer to give a part, among all the documentation of the Insurance.

To put some order, in this post we propose a review of the elements that are present in the Car Insurance policy , and we detail who is who in this type of contract. Let’s start by analyzing the people who participate in a Car Insurance contract and what their role is.

Who is involved in the Car Insurance policy

Many drivers are not very clear about the role played by the insurance broker who sells us the policy or the difference between the policyholder and the owner of the car, in relation to their policy and the coverage contracted.

When signing the policy, there are various figures involved that not only must be known, but it is also convenient to know the function they perform in relation to that contract. These are the people who are related to the Automobile Insurance policy.

The taker

It is the person who signs the Car Insurance policy with the insurer, assuming the obligations derived from the contract, according to the Law. It is the policyholder who undertakes to pay the Insurance premium and who decides essential aspects such as the renewal or not of the Sure.

The insured

The insured person is the one who receives the coverage of the policy. In relation to the contract, he is considered the owner of the interest that is the object of the Insurance and, if there were no policyholder (many times the policyholder and the insured are the same person in Car Insurance), the insured would assume the obligations derived from the contract. This post about the policyholder and the insured can help you differentiate both figures.

Driver

The driver in an insurance contract is that person who is legally able to drive and who, with the consent of the insured or owner of the insured vehicle, drives the car while his insurance is in force. Find out what driver profile you are for insurance.

According to the law, the driver is civilly liable for the risks that may arise from driving the vehicle and the damage caused to third parties or their property in a possible loss or traffic accident.

The regular driver and the occasional driver

We can find references to two types of drivers in a policy: the habitual driver and the possible occasional drivers .

Regardless of the importance they have in establishing the price of the Insurance, it should be noted that it is always necessary to include occasional drivers in the contract.

Failure to do so may result in the insurer rejecting a claim or applying the equity rule. In addition, in certain cases (travel assistance to people, defense of fines), the Insurance can only cover the people who appear as drivers in the policy.

car owner

The insured car always has an owner. The owner is the owner of the vehicle, as it appears on the car’s registration certificate.

The insurer

It is the insurance company that assumes the risks detailed in the policy and guarantees the contracted coverage, in the terms that are detailed in the insurance contract. In return, you receive a premium for providing that coverage.

The insurance broker

The figure of the insurance broker is increasingly important. This person plays a role as an independent mediator between their clients and insurers, advising policyholders and defending their interests. In this post we tell you in more detail what you can expect from an insurance broker.

The beneficiaries

In Insurance, the beneficiary is the person who has the right to receive compensation, in the event that a certain loss occurs.

In automobile policies it is common for the beneficiary to be, at the same time, policyholder and insured. Although this may not be the case, for example, in the case of Driver’s Accident Insurance in which compensation is established for the death of the insured.

The information included in the Car Insurance policy

Once we are clear about the people involved in the Insurance contract and what their role is, we detail all the Car Insurance documentation. That folder that they give us when we insure the vehicle contains all the information of the Insurance that we have contracted, its coverage and the conditions of the contract.

This information is organized into several parts:

• General conditions
• Particular conditions
• Other documents and the friendly part of accidents.

General Conditions of the Policy

To know the coverage of Car Insurance we will have to immerse ourselves in the conditions of the policy . And it is in the general conditions of the Insurance where the rights of the insured and the general lines of the operation of the coverage are explained.

It is essential to spend some time reading this part of the policy, especially if we are thinking of changing insurance . When hiring a car policy  we always look for the best price, but it is also convenient to compare the conditions of some insurers and others, for the same coverage.

This is because the general conditions of Car Insurance are different for each company. In fact, the conditional can vary its length and collect more or less details, depending on each case.

However, there are basic elements that are included in the general conditions of any insurance policy. In this way, in the general conditions we can read how civil liability coverage works , both mandatory and voluntary, and the legal protection provided to the user is explained.

In addition, information is given on the main coverage of the policy, indicating the cases that are covered and those that are not, both the exclusions common to all coverages, and the particular ones.

This is where the operation of guarantees is explained, such as:

• Driver’s Accident Insurance.
• Travel assistance.
• Broken windows and windshield.
• Fire and robbery.
• Own damage.

The steps to follow to claim compensation from the Insurance are also collected and instructions are given to process claims and manage the various services that the insurer provides to its clients.

Particular Conditions of the Insurance

The particular conditions of the policy are fundamental, since they clarify aspects that are included in the general conditions and, in addition, collect the particularities that affect the coverage of each user.

This is where the type of Insurance contracted by the user is established and each and every one of the coverages that he has contracted is mentioned. This point is important, since the particular conditions will always prevail over the general conditions of our insurer. Therefore, although certain coverages are included in the general conditions, they will only be active if they are reflected in the particular conditions.

In addition, the particular conditions contain relevant data of our Insurance contract, so that the people related to the policy are clearly identified, be it the policyholder, the insured and the beneficiaries, the driver, as well as the data of the insurer. and the mediator.

Insurance Information

A fundamental part of our policy is dedicated to insurance information. The policy number , the data of the insurer and the insurance broker , together with the data of the insured vehicle and the people involved in the contract, are essential to process claims and have access to various services.

This information must be very precise, so it is advisable to review these points well before signing the contract to avoid headaches in the future.

Likewise, in the particular conditions, other important information related to the insurance coverage is established. The date on which the Insurance becomes effective and the expiration date of the policy must be stated .

Aspects such as the insured and their beneficiaries are also detailed , or the non-standard accessories that the car may include and that the client wants to include in the policy, or other nuances that are necessary to limit the insured risk in the contracted coverage.

The Friendly Part of Accidents

This document that we can find in the Insurance documentation will be of great help to us if we ever suffer a small accident with another vehicle and both parties agree on who is responsible for the accident. However, there are already applications that allow us to make an accident report online .

The friendly accident report or «Friendly Declaration of automobile accidents» is a document that the drivers of the vehicles involved in an accident must fill out, and in which the damages suffered are described and the position of the vehicles is detailed with a sketch. vehicles in the accident.

Friendly declarations of accidents are always the same, regardless of the insurance company. In fact, the model is the same in Spain and in any other country of the European Union.

Whenever the accident report is filled out:

• Fill in all the sections.
• Describe what has happened in the best way in the sketch
• Sign it and make sure the other person signs it.
• Do not modify it once signed.
• Give it to the insurance company and keep a copy for yourself.

More information found in the Insurance Documentation

In addition, in the Insurance documentation there is information that may be necessary, such as the insurer’s customer service information or the Insurance Assistance telephone number . This information is usually presented in an accessible and easy-to-carry format, such as a card, in which we will find the communication channels where we can notify the Insurance in the event of an incident.

In general, these phones are free, and it is convenient to always have them at hand, because it is the first resource we use when the car breaks down or we are involved in an accident. If not, we can always contact our Insurance broker to lend us a hand.