A driver who bought insurance hours after a car accident has lost his bid to have his claim covered.

The man’s vehicle was damaged in a crash about noon on July 23 last year while he was uninsured. He bought a policy with Suncorp at 5.52pm and lodged a claim on August 16.

The claimant did not dispute this timeline. He argued the policy’s certificate of insurance “specifies a coverage period from July 23 2023 to 11.59pm July 23 2024”, and that implied coverage began at 12.01am on the day it was purchased.

In a dispute ruling, the Australian Financial Complaints Authority says the man’s position is “unreasonable” and the policy only responded to losses during the period of insurance.

“I acknowledge the policy does not specify a start time,” the authority’s adjudicator said. “However, I do not accept the complainant’s argument that it is implied the coverage begins 12.01am on the day the policy is taken out, before it is taken out.

“It is not reasonable to expect the policy to start and provide cover for incidents that occur prior to the complainant calling the insurer to arrange the policy.”

The decision also acknowledges Suncorp’s position that the man misrepresented the vehicle’s condition when applying for the policy, noting damage to a door and front passenger seat.   

Click here for the ruling.