Are you really insured? Think twice!

We all know that one cannot pay the yearly car license without having a minimum of third party insurance. I always assumed that the reason behind this was to protect innocent drivers in a car accident. But are they really protected? My experience shows otherwise.

On September 10, I was involved in a minor accident where neither my insurance nor my counter party's insurance had any doubt that my counter party carried all the blame.

Long story short, I collided with a road cowboy who not only did not stop where he had a stop sign, but he did not even slow down.

To continue manifesting a cowboy character, this person decided not to open a claim even though his own insurance asked him to do so. His insurance firm told me that unless I sent a judicial letter they could not do anything about it. I sent the judicial letter that they requested, and this cost me €85 out of my own pocket.

However, more than 40 days later I am still without a car, undergoing lots of hassle, and €85 at a disadvantage. Am I really living in a European country? What kind of law is this?

Complaints with the MFSA and the Malta Insurance Association have been filed but so far my situation remains the same.

While all insurance firms involved have sympathized with my situation, they just suggested that should I have been insured as full coverage, I wouldn't have had to go into any of this hassle. Hence, it doesn't surprise me that no one acts to change this unfair system... if it becomes the norm for motorists to opt for full coverage insurance it would be a guaranteed substantial increase of income in the long run for all motor insurers.

Why should it be this way? Why should an innocent driver in a traffic accident get to suffer all these unnecessary consequences here in Malta?

In other EU countries, all persons involved in a traffic collision are forced by law to open the claim.

Then the insurers allocate the blame accordingly and their clients have to accept the decision. Why is it so difficult to do the same in Malta?

Unfortunately this experience just shows that the current system punishes responsible drivers, and protects the road bullies.