Can I Claim with a Third Party only Cover?

Out of all of your insurance options in the UK, Third Party Only (TPO) car insurance is the most basic form of coverage. As far as car insurance goes, a Third Party Only plan is the bare minimum legal requirement for car insurance and often the cheapest form of option available for drivers. But despite the cheaper and more tempting price, it wouldn’t be remiss to discuss what type of problems TPO insurance exactly covers so that you can arrive at an informed conclusion about which car insurance policy would be the best for you.

What Does Third-Party Insurance (TPO) Cover?

• TPO insurance secures damage or injury to other road users in the event of an accident that is caused by you
• Damage to other people’s vehicles and property
• Injuries to other motorists and passengers in your car
• The cost of medical treatment for personal injuries that happen to other people on the
  road
• The cost of litigation against you

What is not covered by TPO insurance?

• Damage to your own personal vehicle
• Personal injury incurred – i.e. any treatment or procedures needed for your own
  injuries
• The costs of your own legal battles
• Any belongings in your possession that were damaged in an accident you caused
• Windscreen damage
• Fire damage to your vehicle
• Damage or loss through theft or an attempted theft

Pros of TPO insurance:

• TPO insurance is the minimum legal requirement for car insurance, and therefore
  permits you to ride on the roads
• Because of the lack of coverage, it oftentimes is the cheapest option for car
  insurance available on the market
• It may be an expedient option for older, out of date cars which may be worth less
  than the cost of more comprehensive insurance policies

Cons of TPO insurance:

• Damage to your own vehicle and injuries to yourself are not covered by TPO
  insurance
• If you’re driving another car that is not registered on your policy, TPO insurance does not cover it
• Depending on the circumstance, TPO insurance may or may not be more expensive for newer or higher value cars

A more thorough option for insurance which is a step above TPO is Third Party, Fire and Theft (TPFT), which, on top of the basic coverage over damage to other vehicles and property and incurred injuries to other motorists or passengers, it also covers you (the policy owner) against fire damage and theft to your own car.

And above TPO and TPFT, we finally have the most secure of all insurance plans which is Fully Comprehensive insurance, and it offers the greatest level of protection available on the market – covering third-party costs, any damage done to your vehicle, and personal injuries suffered in the accident.

When deliberating on which type of car insurance policy is appropriate for your
circumstances and needs, it is prudent to consider a variety of factors including (but not limited to):

• The monetary value of your car
• Your driving record
• Your personal circumstance and what you can afford
• How much you will be driving