A self-employed tradesman has described a 169-day ordeal with his insurer Autonet after his van was struck by a speeding driver who failed to stop on a motorway. The vehicle spun across the carriageway, hit barriers on both sides, and caught fire. The driver escaped with a minor head injury.
Despite reporting the collision in mid-May, he heard nothing from Autonet for six weeks. His tools remained locked inside the van at a compound, which charged £25 per day for storage. The insurer initially said he would not be liable for storage costs, but communication was poor, and the claim appeared not to have been started.
Autonet admitted it had “fallen short with our communication and responsiveness” in early July. It later offered only half of the £6,750 expenses claimed, but after pressure from the Guardian, it agreed to pay the full amount. However, the payout for the van itself was delayed for months.
In September, Autonet demanded the immediate return of a courtesy van, which the tradesman had unwittingly signed for under a credit hire agreement. This left him legally liable for hire costs if the third-party insurer failed to pay. He was forced to spend money he could not afford on an inferior replacement.
After further intervention, the underwriter proposed £1,835 for the ruined van in October. Payment was finally made on 31 October, 169 days after the accident. The tradesman now faces potential legal action if the third-party insurer refuses to cover the hire van costs.
