Insured or Not?

[mornshow16]

Hello,
I’ve read a few threads on here and many people seem to be correct when giving advice.

My question to everyone is the following:
Had an accident 16 months ago. I called to report the accident straight after it happened and said I was coming home from work.
Surprise, that wasn’t included in my policy and I am deemed at fault. My Insurance company refused to cover any of the costs because I breached the contract.
I tried to argue with them that was not clear to me that I thought I was covered for everything. No luck
They have now sent me a letter to ask for the money.
I have received a separate letter from one of the claimants about Car damages as well as my insurance refused to pay because of article 75, I was using the car for commuting purposes.

I have consulted a solicitor and facts are that I was working on that day. I parked in the centre car park, I walked to a place to eat before starting my shift and I walked to work. I then walked out of work again to a place to eat before heading home.
Was I using the car for commuting purpose or does this proof class me as using the car for domestic, social and pleasure?

Also, I can get a statement from my manager I finished early on the day which is totally true to act as another piece of proof.

Appreciate your help.

Many thanks

 

[mornshow16]

Without knowing their insurer's terms and conditions and related particulars it is impossible to say really, if it was a one off trip that "happened" to coincide with work they'd nominally be able to get away with it even if they'd previously said they were driving to work, but most insurers include "regular same route" on the day of working as a catch all for this kind of situation - the normal example being driving to a train station - so OP would have to lie if they did this regularly, which would then make matters a whole lot worse if they got caught out.

So basically I was only travelling to that location for work temporarily. It wasn’t my contractual single work place. I was often asked by my manager to cover different stores. And before you say anything, I know now how neglecting that was on my part about the insurance.

 

[mornshow16]

I think you're screwed unfortunately. Maybe get a solicitor to help, but this whole thing is going to cost you.
Why did you say you were commuting when you knew you didn't have cover for that?

I didn’t know mate. Lol I was first time driver and I did my insurance on the road on my phone. Didn’t pay attention. My fault

 

[mornshow16]

If anything, that makes it worse, in that most insurers would probably expect you to take out Business usage for that sort of usage.

I think you'd need a very creative solicitor to argue your way out of this on the basis that despite going to work, your travel wasn't commuting or business usage because you parked in a public car park and stopped off for a sausage roll at Greggs on the way past.

Would that stand though? I feel like they can just argue the journey’s purpose was to travel to work and back.. but the solicitor I spoke to seems to be confident that no matter what I was using the car for before the accident it matters that I left from Greggs to go home and not from work. When I told the insurance I did some shopping before going home they argued that I should have completed my journey to work and back before going shopping. Which if that is the case then I have another receipt to say I had breakfast before walking to work..

Basically it isn’t black and white I get it. Are there any solicitors here to give some advice? Basically to advise me to argue this or not, would it just be a waste of money or is there a good chance?