Can I void my own car insurance?

On Behalf of | Nov 1, 2022 | Civil Litigation, Personal Injury |

After a car accident, you expect to fight with the negligent driver’s insurance. That is why you call an attorney, right?

However, even when you are dealing with your own insurance company, you may find the agent reaching for any reason to tell you “No.” Indeed, they may even claim that you voided your own car insurance.

Having fun with your car

Do you take your car to a private track or to car shows? Do you like to show off your car? If so, and there is a car accident during one of these events, your insurance policy may claim that you voided your own car insurance policy.

The insurer may claim you used the car for an unapproved use.

Taking a vacation in your car

Many people have converted their vehicles, including cars, trucks, vans, etc. into full-time or part-time dwellings. You just made a few modifications to make camping easier or make road trips less expensive by not using a hotel every night.

If so, and a car accident occurs, your car insurance company may say this is an unapproved use and deny your car accident claim.

Business use

Another unapproved use is business and commercial use. Your insurer may void your policy if it finds you put non-commercial auto insurance on a work vehicle.

This policy could also be used as against gig work too, if, for instance you you’re your car while driving for a ride-sharing company.

What about if you just ran an errand for your boss? Would that be a business use? What if you got into a car accident while picking up lunch for everyone at work, while using your personal vehicle? Your car insurance may use these as reasons to void your insurance.

Insurance is not your friend

To put it bluntly, no insurance company is your friend, even your own car insurance company.

Its job is to make money, and every dollar it pays out means less dollars it makes. This is why you often find insurance companies twisting themselves into pretzels to find a way to deny claims. However, that does not mean you have to just accept it. You can fight back with the help of a New Jersey attorney.