¿Puede negarse la aseguradora a cubrir un siniestro durante el mes de gracia?

In car insurance, once the insurance contract ends, there is a period during which the car continues to be insured under the same conditions. It is known as «grace month» or grace period . The question we ask ourselves on this occasion is whether the insurer can refuse to cover a claim during the grace month.

[UPDATED]

grace period

Article 15 of the Insurance Contract Law says that the coverage will be suspended one month after the expiration date. In other words, the insurer must maintain the coverage until one month after the expiration of the policy. So are the coverages the same? And, if so, under what conditions?

Before answering, keep in mind one very important thing: the month of grace is not a month of free insurance. 

What is and what is not the car insurance grace month

In case it wasn’t clear, here it goes again:

The grace month is a period to regularize car insurance, not a month of free insurance . 

The purpose of the grace period is to update the insurance in case there has been a delay in payment or a return of the receipt by the bank. In fact, the insurance will come into force the day after the end of the previous insured period, not the day of payment of the insurance.

If you cancel the insurance there is no «grace» that is worth

The grace month only applies in cases where it is understood that the insurance is going to be renewed. If the client cancels his car insurance in a timely manner, the grace period has no reason to be. That is why it is very important to have the new insurance planned so that it comes into force just when the previous one ends.

⇒In case you are interested: How to cancel the renewal of my insurance

Claims during the month of grace

If you have an accident during the grace period, you are covered by your company, as long as you have not canceled the policy.

If you have not canceled the renewal of the same, the company must attend the claim, but the insured must pay the receipt before the month from the expiration of the policy.

Therefore, if the insured is not entitled to a month of grace, either because he has canceled the insurance, or because he has not paid the policy during the grace period, not only will he not have to bear the costs of the claim, but You are exposed to a fine for not having compulsory car insurance.

⇒Read this: Fines and penalties for driving without insurance

Car insurance expiration date

It should be remembered, to avoid further confusion, that the insured has up to 6 months to pay for the insurance from the expiration date, of which only the first includes the grace period. If this period is passed, the insurer could claim the payment of the policy through the courts. Once, we must insist that the policy does not come into effect on the day of payment if the day after the expiration date of the insurance.

Calculate car insurance

More information

• I hit a car without insurance, do I have to pay for the damage?
• Does the insurance cover an accident if the car has an expired ITV?
• If the tow truck takes a long time to arrive, can I make an insurance claim?
• If you just got your driver’s license or you are under 26, you should not drive any car
• The value of the old: insurance for classic or historic vehicles