Using a Vehicle without Insurance
It is an offence to use a vehicle on a road or other public place without having a valid policy of insurance. It is your responsibility to have insurance, and if you are charged with or summonsed to court for this offence you will need to produce a valid insurance certificate to establish your defence.
If you were driving in the course of your employment you have a defence if you can establish that the vehicle did not belong to you and that you did not know, and had no reason to believe, that you were not insured to drive the vehicle. If you cannot show that you were insured at the relevant time you will be found guilty of the offence. The penalties for this offence include endorsement of six to eight penalty points on your licence or a disqualification from driving together with a fine of up to £5,000. There may be circumstances where you did not have insurance but where it may still be possible to argue that no points or disqualification should be imposed on you. This may be, for example, if you had a genuine and reasonable belief that you were insured to drive the vehicle at the relevant time. this is known as a "special reasons" argument. |
Do you want an appointment to discuss these issues?
Call us on 01942 771771 or email us at enquiries@sms-solicitors.co.uk
Call us on 01942 771771 or email us at enquiries@sms-solicitors.co.uk