Let’s say your car broke down and you had to drive your friend’s vehicle to an important meeting. On your way, though, you got into an accident and wrecked your friend’s car. Now what? Will your auto insurance policy cover the damage or do their rates go up? Does insurance even cover the damage? We get these questions a lot at Veritas Insurance. This blog explains some of the factors that would come into play.
To Pay or Not To Pay...
There are three main questions we must consider when addressing these situations. First, do you live in their house? If you live in their house, most insurance companies require that you are listed on their policy. If you are not listed on the policy, there is no coverage. Second, are you related? Even if you are not a part of the household, relationship to the insured may affect coverage of drivers not listed on the policy. Third, did they give you permission? If you took the car without permission, there is often no coverage on the vehicle when you were driving it.
More often than not, if there was coverage on the vehicle when you drove it, the vehicle owner’s insurance will be primary and yours will be secondary. For example, let’s say you borrowed Bob’s car. If Bob only has liability, he might come back and sue your insurance for the damage done to his car when you were driving it. It is also important to consider Bob’s liability limits. If you hurt someone very badly when you wreck Bob’s car, and his liability limits are exhausted, your insurance can be sued.
Auto Insurance Questions?
There can be a variety of factors that come into play if you were to wreck a friend’s vehicle. If you have any questions, please contact our East Tennessee insurance office at (423) 292-4142, or send an email to help@veritasrm.com. We would be happy to answer any questions you have or provide you with a free auto insurance quote.
