Mum of Elton car crash victim Vicky Williams warns parents as feud with Tesco car insurance continues

Jun 18 2009 by Ben Coulbeck, Chester Chronicle

Mum of Elton car crash victim Vicky Williams warns parents as feud with Tesco car insurance continues

A GRIEVING mother is warning parents to be wary when taking out car insurance after her daughter died in an accident.

Lesley Mowatt, of Redwood Drive, Elton, is still coming to terms with the tragic death of daughter Vicky Williams in October last year.

The 19-year-old was a named driver on step-dad Colin Mowatt’s Tesco insurance policy when she crashed her Vauxhall Corsa into a lamp post on the A56 near Helsby.

But eight months after the accident, Tesco have rejected Mr Mowatt’s insurance claim and have sent a renewal letter bearing Vicky’s name to the family home.

Mrs Mowatt explained: “We are furious. Tesco are refusing to pay out because Vicky was my husband’s stepdaughter and not his next of kin or spouse.

“They have even had the cheek to send us a reminder for Vicky’s policy. They know my daughter has died.

“It’s about the principle of doing it for Victoria. We want to warn other parents to be aware that this can happen. You pay all that money and you think you are protecting your children.”

Tesco refused to accept Mr Mowatt’s claim because the policy covered him and his wife and not Victoria, despite her being a named driver.

A spokeswoman said: “While we offer our sincere condolences to Mr Mowatt and his family, the policy wording on the car insurance policy taken out by Mr Mowatt limits any payment for a fatality to the policyholder and their spouse and does not include named drivers on the policy.

“Following Victoria Williams’ accident we should have removed her name from the policy before sending the renewal notice to Mr Mowatt.

“This was an error on our part and we sincerely apologise.”