Do GY Billboards void your insurance?

[MJJ]

I have read a few posts saying that if you were involved in accident and had non D.O.T. tires that your insurance would be voided?

Truth or Fiction?

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by MJJ

I have read a few posts saying that if you were involved in accident and had non D.O.T. tires that your insurance would be voided?

Truth or Fiction?

RTFP.

[joyridin']

Just out of curiosity, has anybody recently bought a set? If so, does it state where they were manufactured?

[Mark IV]

I have posted several times the such an occurrence could happen. Note I said could not would.

Of course your insurance company would need to catch the fact that you are running a non DOT tire. Or the attorney for the other party, or the police......the point is you need to be aware that there are some risks beyond the billboards tendency to tramline that you must take into account. It is a "risk/benefit equation that only you can find the answer to.

Of course your insurance company can also deny coverage if you are running your car in an unsafe condition and you are aware of such defects.....read the fine print in policy sometime.

[MJJ]

Originally Posted by Mark IV

I have posted several times the such an occurrence could happen. Note I said could not would.

Of course your insurance company would need to catch the fact that you are running a non DOT tire. Or the attorney for the other party, or the police......the point is you need to be aware that there are some risks beyond the billboards tendency to tramline that you must take into account. It is a "risk/benefit equation that only you can find the answer to.

Of course your insurance company can also deny coverage if you are running your car in an unsafe condition and you are aware of such defects.....read the fine print in policy sometime.

Thanks for the feedback. I was just wondering if this has really happened to a member.

[mickmate]

One of our members got a letter from his insurance company stating he was covered with Billboards on the car. I would check with them before you needed to know.

[dcdoug]

I would contact your insurance company and explain what GYBB are, that they are bias-ply, not DOT legal and confirm that they are acceptable. I'd do it by email or some other written form so you have confirmation.

[Mark IV]

Originally Posted by mickmate

One of our members got a letter from his insurance company stating he was covered with Billboards on the car. I would check with them before you needed to know.

I am amazed by that Nick. I fail to see how an insurance company could endorse the voilation of a federal regulation and not have it come back on them. Not saying they didn't say "OK" but in a business where they like to error on the side of the lawyers I am very surprised.

And more importantly I think there are better tires than the billboards for driving, I do understand the appearance superiority of the Goodyears however.

[mickmate]

I would emphasise they are a performance, race tire with full tread. My legal advisor told me if they're looking that closely at the tire it's not to read "Not for highway use" it's to see how much tread they have. The "not" could always scuff off ;-)

[patrickt]

Jeez, you don't need a law degree to RTFP. Just look for an exclusion based on illegal, race, or equipment known to be blah, blah, blah. Then see if there's a causation tie. It wouldn't make a lot of sense to deny coverage from a daytime accident based on "illegal headlights," right? Or the fact that you illegally removed your PCV valve, rear view mirror, etc. C'mon guys, think....

[G-Pete]

....says the guys, who stated "no corner weighing - no safe car" and installed TWO roll bars....just in case. hehehehe

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by G-Pete

....says the guys, who stated "no corner weighing - no safe car" and installed TWO roll bars....just in case. hehehehe

Yep, insurance policies here in the states are now, for the most part, all in "plain English" ... and written at around a seventh grade level.

[G-Pete]

Sarcasm Patrick sarcasm...

Anyhow to answer the OP's question - I'm pretty sure it will. They are in the business to make money and have lawyers to defend claims to the bitter end.

Besides that, here straight from the Good Year website...


No Warranty

Due to the conditions under which they operate, Goodyear MAKES NO WARRANTY AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY (INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY AS TO MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE), EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, with respect to Goodyear racing tires, tubes, safety spares or air containers and shall not be liable for any damages whatsoever including, without limitation, consequential or special damages, arising out of their use. Goodyear racing tires are designed and compounded solely for racing purposes and are not tested or labeled to meet FMVSS/ECE Regulations. It is therefore not only dangerous, but also illegal to sell for use or use race tires on public streets or highways.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by G-Pete

Sarcasm Patrick sarcasm...

Anyhow to answer the OP's question - I'm pretty sure it will.

No, Pete. The OP is talking about the insurance policy you buy from, say "Every State Auto Insurance" that covers you for your own negligence, or for loss of the vehicle. Not the warranty that comes with the tires. They are as far apart as the moon and the stars. Just imagine, though, if your insurance policy had a clause that said "this policy shall be null and void if you have an illegal part on your car." How many cars out there have a tail light out, or the inspection sticker has expired, or maybe a radar detector tucked under the visor of a CDL truck? You need to think it through, Pete. Don't just jump to a conclusion, and for God's sake, don't stubbornly cling to a position just because you started from it.

[Dimis]

Originally Posted by G-Pete

Anyhow to answer the OP's question - I'm pretty sure it will. They are in the business to make money and have lawyers to defend claims to the bitter end

I can only speak from experience with insurance companies, and state that the above is true. Practically, depending on how much the claim is worth to you vs how expensive your lawyer is will determine who wins these claim skirmishes.

Patrick - FWIW policies may be written in 7th grade English, but you well and truly know, that they are more often than not open to interpretation, regardless of how simple each item is defined.
Surly the ambiguity in policies is part of the reason people write you cheques. No?

...as Patrick said rtfp
...and while you're at it, find out what your lawyer charges.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Dimis

Patrick - FWIW policies may be written in 7th grade English, but you well and truly know, that they are more often than not open to interpretation, regardless of how simple each item is defined.

No, not really. Today's policies are pretty much "you are covered for everything imaginable except the stuff listed as follows" type policies. And they're all pretty much written by the same organization, ISO Properties, Inc. Nobody wants ambiguity, for a zillion reasons, including societal, re-insurance, regulatory, I could go on, and on, and on. It should be pretty easy for anyone to tell what is excluded from their coverage. The truth is, they never take the time to try and see. They think it's too hard, but it's not. And they post stupid-ass questions like "is this excluded from my policy" expecting an answer from people who never get the chance to read the policy in the first place.

Originally Posted by Dimis

Surly the ambiguity in policies is part of the reason people write you cheques. No?

No, I'm overpaid because of my surly good looks.

[MJJ]

Ease up fellas.

I always read the fine print. The reason I asked is that I am in the market to buy one. I love the look but if their use is primarily parade duty only I will likely go with 17's instead of 15" wheels.

I was just curious if someone had real world experience with this being an issue.

[Mongoose930]

I did get in writing from my insurance carrier that their is nothing in my policy restricting the use of non-DOT tires as this was a major concern for me. Even if you change over to DOT approved tires, if you are running knock-off wheels, they are not DOT approved either. Your 2, 4 or 5 point RACING harness is not DOT approved (with very few exceptions). Your high performance stainless brake lines may not be DOT approved. And so on...

[REAL 1]

Originally Posted by Mongoose930

I did get in writing from my insurance carrier that their is nothing in my policy restricting the use of non-DOT tires as this was a major concern for me. Even if you change over to DOT approved tires, if you are running knock-off wheels, they are not DOT approved either. Your 2, 4 or 5 point RACING harness is not DOT approved (with very few exceptions). Your high performance stainless brake lines may not be DOT approved. And so on...

Agreed.

While reading your policy is a good idea it is also a good idea to confirm in writing with the company or agent (not a broker but an agent) that using the Billboards is not an issue with coverage. I did.

[Mark IV]

So let's say you have a small incident, like you hit a curb and bust a wheel with the Billboards. Likely your insurance company will pay up no problems, no questions, no investigation.

Now lets say you have a slightly bigger boo-boo....like you hit a carload of nuns and turn their minivan into a flaming cauldron. Do you think the insurance company not to mention the other parties attorneys are not going to look at every little detail, like say the "not for highway use" molded in the sidewall?

Just sayin'................