Car Accident Liability When Friends Or Family Members Were Driving Your Car
Getting into a car accident can be stressful enough. The worry can increase exponentially in situations where a friend or family member was the person driving your car. Many people immediately worry. Will insurance cover the damage? Were they allowed to drive the car? Who is deemed at fault? How Is Fault Determined? If a family member, friend, or significant other was driving your car and is not listed as an insured driver, whose insurance applies will depend on 1) which driver is deemed the “at fault” driver in the accident and 2) the specific language policy of the applicable insurance policies. The general rule of thumb is if the person driving the car caused the accident, they are liable for the damage. This does not mean, however, that the person’s insurance policy will cover the accident. Rather, insurance policies typically follow the insured vehicle instead of the policyholder. Therefore,…