Are You Protected if Someone Borrows Your Car?
If you like to occasionally let someone borrow your car, you may be concerned about whether or not your car is protected if that person gets in an accident. After all, what would you do if your car was damaged in an accident while someone else was driving? In addition, are you held liable for the injuries that person sustains or for the injuries of other people involved in the accident? In order to keep yourself safe, it is important to know your rights and responsibilities as the owner of the car.
Coverage for You Versus Coverage for the Car
When you obtain automobile insurance for your vehicle, it is important to realize that the coverage actually belongs to the car rather than to you. Of course, you are directly affected by the coverage. Nonetheless, your policy will extend the same type of coverage to anyone that is driving the car as you would receive – assuming that person had permission to drive your car.
Keep in mind that you do not necessarily have to provide a person with permission to drive your vehicle. Anyone that is licensed, related to you, and living in your home, for example, is automatically assumed to have your permission to drive the car. This relation can be through blood, marriage, or adoption. Licensed foster children are also automatically assumed to have your permission.
Of course, anyone that is listed on your policy is also covered when driving your vehicle. Family members that don’t live with you are also assumed to have permission, as are children that have gone off to college but still list your address as their permanent address.
Aside from the people that are automatically assumed to have your permission, anyone that you allow to drive your vehicle will also be covered by your policy. Therefore, if you have full coverage that includes collision and comprehensive, your car will be protected if someone wrecks it while borrowing it. If you only have minimum liability insurance, on the other hand, only the other people involved in the accident will be compensated.
What if the Driver is Injured?
Aside from worrying about your car if someone gets into an accident while driving it, you may also be worried about whether or not you are liable to pay for the person’s injuries. In short, you have nothing to worry about. Depending upon your policy and state regulations, your insurance might pay for these expenses. If not, the person that drove your vehicle is responsible for taking care of his or her own medical expenses. Unless you knowingly gave that person a defective vehicle and did not tell that person about the problem, you cannot be found guilty of negligence and you are not responsible for the injuries in any way.
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