One man's failure to ensure that he has an adequate any driver van insurance policy came back to haunt him recently when the delivery van he was driving crashed into a parked Ferrari, causing a domino effect which resulted in damage to three more of the Italian supercars.

The 20-year-old, who was driving on his family firm's any driver van insurance policy, was coming to the end of his long night shift when he fell asleep on the job, report newspapers in Taiwan, the country where the accident happened.

Although the man's van insurance policy includes cover for injury, it does not cover damages, meaning that he was personally liable for the £309,000 vehicle repair bill.

However, after the Taiwanese public learned that the man's monthly salary of just £900 meant it would take nearly 30 years for him to be able to meet the repair bill, they cobbled together and have so far raised £19,000 to help cover the cost.

The Nissan van driver's predicament has struck a chord in the country, where hundreds of thousands of low-income families battle to make ends meet. Not only does he earn a low income from his delivery job, he also had to drop out of college because of financial pressures, works night shifts in the restaurant industry to supplement his low income and, when he is not working, cares for his ailing mother.

It is little wonder then that he was so exhausted that he fell asleep at the wheel – he most probably should not have been driving in the first place, even if he had no alcohol in his system and a previously spotless driving record.

The case has brought attention to the issue of wealth disparity on the island; the owners of the Ferraris were standing nearby and watched the whole accident unfold. Fortunately, nobody suffered any injuries.

iVan's view

The accident is instructive in two ways. Firstly, drivers should never get behind the wheel if they are so tired they might lose concentration or fall asleep; secondly, cutting corners on the level of coverage offered by an any driver van insurance can come back to haunt you in the long run – the more comprehensive your level of cover, the more confident you can feel about the level of protection you enjoy while on the road.