Bike insurance and hypertension

JohnnyOldBoy

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Been with Bennetts for 3 years and yesterday went to their website to insure another bike, usually renew on the phone.

There was an option to declare medical conditions to which I have always said none in the past. Had a look and hypertension was on the list. Checked gov.uk and you do not need to tell DVLA if you have controlled high blood pressure. Wondering now why Bennetts are asking for personal data which is not relevant.

Is this something new or have I been riding around for over 10 years without valid insurance?
 
I guess that telling DVLA is different from what the Insurer wants to assess.

In that respect - it appears relevant to the insurer (who can decide whatever medical condition they want to assess)

DVLA - will assess if you should have a license or not

Insurer - will assess if they want to accept the risk or increase the premium to cover that risk
 
I thought you only had to inform the insurer of DVLA-notifiable conditions?

Hoping that’s still the case

Otherwise it sounds like a way for Bennett’s to skim more money out of you ...
 
Is this something new or have I been riding around for over 10 years without valid insurance?

I really don't think they can invalidate insurance on a (dubious) technicality like that.

I wonder how many people declare they have herpes :D
 
I really don't think they can invalidate insurance on a (dubious) technicality like that.

I wonder how many people declare they have herpes :D

If they ask a question regarding health and you don't declare it - I think in the event of a claim for a driving incident, then they can indeed seek to invalidate the cover for 1st party, and possibly seek to claim back for any 3rd party claim.
 
I think that will be an interesting discussion in court.

One thing is riding a modified vehicle (and even there... I find it unreal to have a policy void because I didn't declare a sat nav mount... as many believe in here), but I guess it would be a different story if I didn't disclose that I have back pain...

Also, the way they ask the questions (on the phone) is very vague.
Also, again, the way they report the details on the certificate is very vague.


I'm not saying one has to cheat with the insurer at all.
But there is a limit...

Also, in the case of OP, there is a massive amount of people with undiagnosed ipertension.
Would you have to declare any HIV to the insurer?
Gender dysphoria? That would be an interesting one.
 
I have hypertension, sleep apnoea and type 2 diabetes due to being a fat baby boomer.

I don't declare any of them as they are all managed. The sleep apnoea is the only one I had to tell DVLA about but they have a letter from my consultant saying that I am compliant with treatment. In turn, I have a letter from DVLA stating I do not have to declare the sleep apnoea to an insurer. They will check again with my consultant after 3 years. I have a CPAP machine that logs when it is being used and sends data to my consultant via an app on my phone. If I do not meet the targets prescribed then I risk my licence being suspended.

I have yet to see a motor insurance proposal form that asks to be told of any medical condition other than where there is a restriction applied by DVLA.
 
I have hypertension, sleep apnoea and type 2 diabetes due to being a fat baby boomer.

I don't declare any of them as they are all managed. The sleep apnoea is the only one I had to tell DVLA about but they have a letter from my consultant saying that I am compliant with treatment. In turn, I have a letter from DVLA stating I do not have to declare the sleep apnoea to an insurer. They will check again with my consultant after 3 years. I have a CPAP machine that logs when it is being used and sends data to my consultant via an app on my phone. If I do not meet the targets prescribed then I risk my licence being suspended.

I have yet to see a motor insurance proposal form that asks to be told of any medical condition other than where there is a restriction applied by DVLA.
Good luck with you claim when you take out a bus queue after falling asleep at the wheel.
 
Good luck with you claim when you take out a bus queue after falling asleep at the wheel.

at the risk of feeding the troll:

what part of *managed* do you not understand? Of all people, I thought you would understand the concept of diagnosis and treatment to mitigate risk?
 
at the risk of feeding the troll:

what part of *managed* do you not understand? Of all people, I thought you would understand the concept of diagnosis and treatment to mitigate risk?
‘Managed’ won’t matter if you have an accident where your undeclared health issue was, or even might have been an issue.

You failed to declare. Your contract doesn’t say you don’t have to declare ‘managed’ conditions

Hope it works out for you.
 
He wrote he has a letter from the DVLA that says he doesn’t have to declare the apnoea.

Or I missed some bits?
 
How about mental health issues ? Maybe quite a few on this board would fall at the first hurdle I would guess after reading some of the posts and subsequent insults.:augie
 
Been with Bennetts for 3 years and yesterday went to their website to insure another bike, usually renew on the phone.

There was an option to declare medical conditions to which I have always said none in the past. Had a look and hypertension was on the list. Checked gov.uk and you do not need to tell DVLA if you have controlled high blood pressure. Wondering now why Bennetts are asking for personal data which is not relevant.

Is this something new or have I been riding around for over 10 years without valid insurance?

Insurer or their agent have no right to private medical records and conditions unless you give it to them ,however, as the dvla only require information for certain medical conditions and hyper tension is not on that list I would not inform them.
Call their bluff inform them that you do not suffer from any conditions that the dvla require to be informed of and ask for the reason in writing that they require access to private and confidential medical records regarding conditions that according to the dvla bear no relevance to your abilities to drive
 
Why are we talking about the DVLA. What they want or don't want is entirely irrelevant in the context of a contract between you and an insurer.

Calling their bluff sounds tough guy, but will butter no parsnips in the if you fall asleep at the wheel and haven't declared a relevant medical condition (sleep apnea). Kill a breadwinner or disable a child and you'll be paying for it the rest of your life.
 
Your contract is with the insurance company, not the DVLA.

You’re (basically) invalidating that contract from the very beginning and therefore (possibly) wasting your money.
 
It is very simple. An insurer can ask any question they deem necessary in order to assess risk. But, that question has to be reasonable in the context of the insurance being sought. Here is a simple example, it is not a requirement of the DVLA that you be married or single or divorced, though that is frequently a question that is put to people filling in the proposal form.

The insurer in this thread has, apparently, deemed it relevant to their (not yours or the DVLA’s) risk assessment to ask about certain medical conditions. If you do not want to answer the question(s) or find it an outrage that the question(s) were even asked, find another insurer and / or report the matter to the FCA, who will review your complaint on its merits. By and large, the FCA is sympathetic to private citizens’ problems, so give it a go.

Yes, knowingly telling a mistruth when seeking insurance might and can lead to the policy being voided (cancelled) from inception. That though is not always a simple process for the insurer to enact. Is it worth gambling on? No but neither (in my view at least) is the 3:15 at Chepstow but thousands of people still do it.
 
Read my post the insurance company or broker has no legal right to personal medical information or conditions other than those which the dvla legally require to be made aware of that are directly related to your physical or mental ability to safely drive a motor vehicle on a public road.
 


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