good question. As we ’ re about to explain, it depends on the coverage you have and who ’ s at fault if there ’ s an accident. And ( you guessed it ) there are exceptions and speed bumps to know about before you hand over the keys !
We ’ ll test to make it a childlike as possible. Let ’ s take a look at how car indemnity comes into play when person else is putting the pedal to your metal .
Can Someone Drive My Car and Be Covered Under My Insurance?
In your car policy policy, your car is covered by the comprehensive and collision coverage and you are covered through your liability and any checkup coverage.
In most states, the indemnity company will pay to cover repairs to your vehicle regardless of who is driving. 1 But when insurers look at the person behind your wheel and the other car involved in the collision, things become less blacken and ashen. It can depend on the terms of your coverage, your policy and the country where you live .
Do you have the right policy coverage ? You could be saving hundreds ! Connect with an insurance professional nowadays !
Bottom line: Look cautiously at the ticket print of your policy before you let person else drive ! Whether or not they live in a different express, the other driver should be doing the lapp .
now, let ’ s spirit specifically at how liability, comprehensive examination and collision coverages can affect things when person else is driving your car .
Liability Covers the Other Car
Liability coverage is mandate in pretty much every department of state except New Hampshire. It ’ mho there to cover the costs if you ’ re at fault in an accident along with the other driver ’ s checkup and repair costs .
But will it help if your Aunt Carol visits from out-of-state, drives your sedan one morning, and gets into a minor scrape ( for which she ’ south at demerit ) ? Let ’ s take a search :
- Because Aunt Carol was at fault, your liability insurance will help pay toward repairs and medical costs for the other driver. Liability will also cover your legal bills in this situation.
- Your liability coverage won’t pay for Aunt Carol’s medical costs if she’s at fault. If Carol has her own insurance, her liability could help with her medical costs and support your liability if you reach the limits of your policy.
- What if Aunt Carol doesn’t have any car insurance at all? Take a deep breath. Because if Carol was at fault, you’ll very likely face all the costs to cover the repairs to the other car and the other driver’s medical bills.
Let ’ s flex this around and pretend the early driver is at defect. In that lawsuit, neither you nor Aunt Carol need to worry because the other driver ’ mho liability coverage will pay for your repairs, legal costs and Carol ’ s aesculapian bills. That ’ s unless you live in a “ no-fault ” country. ( More on that soon. )
Bottom line: Liability will help cover any damages to other vehicles. This goes without saying, but make indisputable you never let an uninsured driver behind the wheel of your car .
Collision and Comprehensive Cover Your Car
now, if your cable car policy policy includes comprehensive and collision coverage ( and we recommend you have both in place ), this coupling will help pay for repairs to your car —even if, like in our exemplar, Aunt Carol was driving .
If your car insurance policy includes comprehensive and collision coverage ( and we recommend you have both in rate ), this coupling will help pay for repairs to your car.
But here ’ randomness where the grey areas creep in. Because you weren ’ triiodothyronine driving your cable car, your policy might not pay out equally much for the repairs. Let ’ s say the rectify costs exceed the sum your policy allows. Your policy company could turn to Carol ’ s indemnity provider to make up the remainder .
even if you don ’ t strive or exceed your limits, your insurance company could approach Carol ’ s supplier to recoup some of the costs anyhow. After all, she was driving ! again, it ’ sulfur all in the finely print .
What Is Permissive and Non-Permissive Use?
Okay, hang with us here. To promote excuse, it ’ randomness common for car insurance policies to include a article about who has “ license ” to use your cable car and who doesn ’ t. But states vary in how they apply these permissive driver laws .
It ’ sulfur common for car insurance policies to include a clause about who has “ permission ” to use your car and who doesn ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate. But states vary in how they apply these permissive driver laws.
In our case, let ’ s pretend your policy doesn ’ t have a permissive use clause in it. Your insurance provider could refuse to pay toward Aunt Carol ’ randomness liability and checkup costs—even if she wasn ’ t at fault .
On the other hand, if your policy does have a permissive use clause, Carol would be covered. Let ’ s take a closer front at these clauses in detail .
Permissive use is a clause within your indemnity coverage that covers drivers who you give permission to drive your car. The license could merely be verbal. It doesn ’ t need to be written down anywhere. And these drivers don ’ t need to be members of your immediate class or live in your family. They could barely be a supporter ( or a distant aunt ). But you must look at your policy first to see if there ’ s a permissive use article in place. not all indemnity policies include it .
Non-permissive use is when person takes your car without your accept. This could be theft, but it could besides happen if a supporter uses it without your license. If they get into an accident and they ’ rhenium at defect, it ’ ll be their insurance coverage that covers their indebtedness first—not yours. But you credibly won ’ t scat being liable for some of the costs, either. Why ? Because most insurers will take the view that, because you broadly know this person, you did give permission—unless you specifically named them in your policy as person not allowed to use your car .
Who Are Named Drivers?
Named drivers within your cable car policy policy are members of your contiguous syndicate who live in your family. It goes without saying, but you should always check with your insurance company about who in your family your policy covers. Most insurers will ask you to list these people along with regular users of your car when you apply for car policy. Always tell your supplier who you ’ d like to put down as a named driver in your policy— particularly if that person uses your car regularly .
When Is Someone Not Covered by My Car Insurance?
Most states will allow you to exclude specific named drivers from your policy. This could be person in your family whose drive record international relations and security network ’ t great or has a few accidents to their name. By excluding them, you protect your own insurance agio from going up .
But what happens if they ignore this ejection and use your car ? And, worse still, what if they damage it ? Your state of matter ’ south laws could come into play at this point. But, as a general rule, your insurance provider won ’ t pay out if the excluded driver uses the car without your permission and causes damage .
What Happens in a No-Fault State?
Things can change when you ’ re talking about excluded drivers in a “ no-fault ” state like Florida. In that case, your policy will pay to cover your repairs and damage regardless of who ’ s at fault .
But if you live in a no-fault state and the person at fault for an accident is an eject driver, you could both be called upon to pay costs to the driver who wasn ’ thyroxine at fault if they reach their coverage limit .
Things to Know Before You Lend Out Your Car
By now, it ’ randomness clear you should always check your policy policy before letting person else behind the wheel. here are some other things to consider :
- Does the person driving your car have their own car insurance policy?
- Does the person driving your car live in a different state?
- Does the person driving your car have a valid driver’s license?
- Have you checked your policy to get the specifics about the other driver and how they’re covered—or if they’re covered at all?
- When you loan your car, are the insurance and registration details in the glove box?
- Have you contacted your insurer to include a named driver to your policy if they’re going to be driving your car regularly?
Bottom line: Remember all these things before allowing person else behind the bicycle of your car. For example, letting your roommate who has indemnity coverage and a valid driver ’ mho license relieve you on a road trip may be less of a risk than letting her uninsured supporter from two states away take over at the following boast post .
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Get to the Bottom of All Things Car Insurance
If you ’ re looking for a cable car indemnity policy or merely need aid figuring out the coverage you ’ re getting from the one you do have, an independent insurance agent can help.
Use our Endorsed Local Provider (ELP) plan to track down an technical in your area !
It ’ s free to get connected, and they can help you find a policy that gives you the coverage you need—not just for you, but for all the members of your kin and any “ Aunt Carols ” in your populace !
Find an independent car indemnity agent today !