Motor vehicle insurance: compulsory cover

Under section 145(3) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 a compulsory policy must cover liability for death or personal injury “caused by, or arising out of, the use of the vehicle on a road or other public place”. There is a good deal of authority on the meaning of the phrase “caused by or arising out of”, the latest ruling being that of Master Davidson in Wastell v Woodward and Chaucer Syndicates Ltd 28 February 2017, unreported. The facts were by any standards borderline.

Westell : the facts