MOTORISTS suffering from flood damage to their cars from Storm Babet and Storm Ciaran may not be awarded insurance payouts.
Drivers on third-party insurance policies may even be forced to shell out for expensive repair costs themselves, according to an insurance expert from Compare the Market.
Storm Ciaran is expected to hit the UK late in the evening on Wednesday, November 1 – with its full impact to be felt on Thursday, November 2.
The Met Office has reported that rainfall of between 75 and 100mm is expected.
This comes just days after Storm Babet ripped through the nation – leaving seven people dead and around 1,250 homes around the country flooded.
While Storm Ciaran is likely to see less rainfall than Storm Babet, the amount of rain left in the wake of Babet means there is an increased risk of flooding in areas still recovering from the heavy downpours.
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And that could spell more misery for battered Brits, as many face eye-watering costs to repair their damaged vehicles.
Motorists on third-party insurance policies have the most to lose, according to Compare the Market insurance expert Julie Daniels.
She said: “You may be able to claim for flood damage if you have comprehensive car insurance, but you should check the terms and conditions of your policy.
“It’s unlikely that your car will be covered for flood damage on a third-party fire and theft policy.
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"You may only be covered if you’ve done what’s necessary to keep your car safe."
What's more, she warns that the type of cover provided may vary depending on a range of factors.
Julie said: “Typically, insurance providers put flood damage into two categories.
"Unavoidable flood damage is if your car is flooded where it’s usually parked, such as at home.
"Avoidable flood damage is if you take risks, like driving into a flooded area despite warning alerts.
“If your car is submerged, don’t try to start the engine, even if the water has subsided as it might cause further damage.
"Your insurer may also have its own ‘preferred repairers’ so avoid drying out or repairing the car yourself.
“If you’re concerned about the risk of flooding and whether your car is covered, contact your car insurance provider for more information.”
Meanwhile, Swinton Insurance has advised those impacted by storms that they should contact their provider as soon as possible to start processing their claim.
They said: “After your initial call to make a storm damage claim, it’s likely that your insurer will check if there was a storm in the area you live.
“After this, your insurer should be able to give you a timeline of when they’re likely to be able to settle the claim and can advise you on contacting its approved repairers if needed.”
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This comes after motorist Gareth Butterfield revealed how he saved big on his car insurance, with his annual bill increasing by just £1 rather than the £60 he was first quoted.
Meanwhile, a car theft victim's clever trick using Snapchat and Google helped him track his stolen motors… but he was then forced to take matters into his own hands.
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