We’ve all been in different situations that require someone else to drive your vehicle. You really need to know how your car insurance policy works for these types of scenarios. Particularly, how your insurance handles accidents caused by a driver that was not listed on your policy. Here are things to research about the policy that could give you a better idea of what to expect if you lend your vehicle and that driver causes an accident;
Whose car insurance covers the vehicle being driven?
When looking at an at-fault case, the only way to obtain coverage on the vehicle being claimed is through the vehicle owner’s insurance policy. If the listed vehicle does not have collision coverage, then no coverage will be available. It’s at that point that the owner and the at-fault driver would have to decide as to who pays the deductible, however, only the owner of the vehicle holds the responsibility for providing it.
Which liability will cover the driver?
The vehicle owner’s insurance policy should provide some amount of liability coverage. However, depending on the severity of the accident, the owner’s liability coverage may not cover the full amount. In these cases, the driver at fault can choose to apply their own liability coverage to pick up the rest of it.
Increased car insurance rates?
The owner of the vehicle is responsible at all times for whoever is driving their car. Insurance companies base your insurance rate on the likelihood of a future accident or claim. Even though you loaned out your car at the time of the at-fault accident, you are at a higher risk for doing so. You should expect an insurance premium due to your new high-risk insurance policy.
Are you responsible for tickets that were given to the driver?
Luckily, any driving violations received by the other driver will not affect the vehicle owner’s insurance policy or rates. Any traffic violations accumulated are given to the driver’s license and record. In fact, the driver’s car insurance rates could increase because of the accumulation of tickets while driving another car.
When in doubt, consult with an attorney
An accident is always bad, however, under these circumstances, it’s even worse since you were not entirely at fault for the accident. Maybe you just loaned out your car because you were too busy cooking, missed an ingredient, and sent out a family friend to help pick something up. It’s not fair that you would have to pay for the irresponsible and aggressive actions of another driver. Nevertheless, you are in this situation. It would be a good idea to hire an attorney to represent you and make sure that you are getting all the coverage that you can. Call our offices here at Utah Attorneys for a free consultation on your at-fault insurance claim.
