Nurburgring - Uckfield Possy on tour :)

[jeffw]

Just remember not to admit to anything and to consult a legal expert if it looks like it will go to law. There are a few lawyers who are aware of the legal situation with the Ring who should be able to assist.

[zxr400]

well of i go to nurburg to get my car, insurance say im not covered, thers a and green flag say no as well ,well stuff em all ,my good old mum said have some of your inheritence ,and dont do it agine, no mummy i wont ,£3500 not to bad if you say quick i dont think i wiil cross the sea for soom time to blat ,stay in good old blighty i think, wot wot cheers paul

[Ben_Copeland]

Ouch !!!! No track insurance? Ouch

[zxr400]

its a puplic toll road to the germans insurance ,but not ours it seems

[James]

:O paul, chin up bud if it makes you feel better one of my mates decided to take out a 100m of armaco and was find 7k, they impounded his car and his passport, his dad had to pay the fine to get him home!

Wo it coulda been worse mate but the main thing is everyone is ok! cars can be fixed

[greenwood03]

Paul, not trying to teach you to suck eggs, but i really would recommend that you speak to a specialist - depedning on the wording of your policy i'd suggest that little is clear or concrete in terms of the 'Ring' and Insurance.
A trawl through various forums will show that there are various obligations by a UK Insurer REGARDLESS of what they may try to write into a policy document. Mate do yourself a favour and talk to someone!!

as far as i can work out there's 2 main scenarios:
1. your company specifies that the Nordcshliefe is NOT covered
2. they mention that track days, timed trials etc are not covered.

Under 1. - from what i've read/heard that is not enforceable - as under EU Law the Insurer MUST provide 3rd party cover, even if they seek to recover their costs from the insured at a later date.

Under2. this is where the specialist/lawyer would advise. as you point out the NS is a tioll road, Not a track day or timed trial.

I dont know what your insurers have said to you, but presumably they are saying that they will cover nothing, not even 3rd party claims? if that's the case i'd certainly be checking all escape routes, because i assume that means they won't cover any claims made by anyone else involved in the accident??

sorry mate to bang on, but i really think you need to be double checking and then checking again!

[James]

Excellent post mark, i was thinking about the remaining 3rd party claims that "may" happen.

Paul i take it the £3k is just to get your car back isnt it ?

[jeffw]

Talk to Andrew Thomson & Co

http://www.leeds-solicitors.com/nurburg ... rance.html

As I said previously you will need to take legal advice and force your insurance to payout. £3.5K is, potentially, just the start if the other cars/bikes went off pursue a claim against you. Get some qualified legal advice.

On the 2nd point, as I mentioned previously, ADAC (the German AA) are the only ones allowed to recover off the Ring and they would have returned the car to the UK. Worth taking out ADAC cover instead of Green Flag if your are going to do any European trips again (ADAC will recover you in the UK as well).

[zxr400]

i have said to the insurunce company i am not taking it siting down, so they have sent me paper work to fill out to say it was not a timed trak day ,which they seem to think it was ;yes james that to clean the road and recovery ,the car only needs a new sump ,i just wanted to get the car back ,and then fight the insurunce company ,thanks guys for your suport and advise ,paul

[Tony B]

I've read endless posts on this subject, in my T&Cs it says they are exempt from 'De Restricted Toll Roads'.

I called my insurance yesterday to say I was going on a European trip for a few days and whilst there i was planning to drive the Nurburgring Nordschleife, I asked them if they can confirm that I am covered fully comprehensive for European driving and also what cover I have on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, which is a public Toll Road in Germany for;
• Damage to my car
• Damage to other vehicles
• Damage or fluid spillages to or on the Nurburgring Nordschleife

For European travel they said I'm only insured Fully Comp if I call and agree with them first with dates and countries I'll be travelling in, for the Ring initially they stated that as long as I'll be driving within the speed limit and for social, domestic or pleasure reasons then I'm insured, I asked the girl (who I got the impression was a 17 year old that had never heard of the M25 let alone the Ring) for this in writing because I explained a 'bit' about what the Ring was about, she put me on hold whilst she checked with the insurance company again and when she came back told me I wouldnt be insured, the reason this time was in the T&Cs it says derestricted toll road, I said that was true to a certain extent but there are speed limits on it so it's not totally derestricted.

All I wanted was something in writing but her final point was that the call had been recorded and I had been told I was not insured, if I went and had a problem they would use the recording to get out of it.

I think the point is that it's a huge grey area, the T&C's are not explicit unless they actually state the Ring itself, most insurance companies use 'time setting' as a get out and when you explain (and proove) that the road has no timing devices then the 'prosecution' just show the Top Gear video which prooves differently.

I've spoken to Paul loads over this since we got back and I dont think he should take it sitting down, I'm pretty certain under EU law the insurance company has an obligation to pay out for 3rd party damage, however at the moment he stands to lose £3.5k which is almost swallowable and I'm not sure this comes under 3rd party (more a fine), fingers crossed for him that this is the end of the matter, if not and the insurance refuse to support then I think Legal advice is a must - but again at a cost to Paul.

Would I go back to the ring?, I'd really have to think twice, the 'one' lap I had (and you now know why we only had one lap) was the best driving experience I had ever had, I would love to do it again but I'm pretty sure it wont be as much fun because I'd be being too careful - and therfore I probably wouldnt go back (to actually drive it that is)