Does Auto Insurance cover the car or the driver?

[satyajitmenon]

My friend wants to borrow my truck cos he's moving house. If he gets in an accident while driving my truck, whose insurance covers the damage? Mine or his?

Looking it up online yields mixed results - some indicate my insurance would cover it, while others indicate the drivers (his) insurance would.

 

[Gibson486]

You insure your car, not the person. What would happen is that your insurance will be involved. Behind the scenes, they are going to go after your friends insurance. Ofcourse, teh reason why you are getting mixed results on searches is because it varies state to sate.

 

[LTC8K6]

If he's not listed on your policy as a a driver, your insurance isn't going to pay for the damage to your truck if the accident is his fault.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

The policy varies by policy. So the answer is variable.

 

[Gibson486]

If he's not listed on your policy as a a driver, your insurance isn't going to pay for the damage to your truck if the accident is his fault.

That is a possibility too....

 

[nickbits]

My policy states that anyone given permission from you to drive it are covered. However if they are living with you, I think they need to be on the policy.

/MI

 

[MrWizzard]

Every state has different rules, each company has different policies.

Call your agent or company, ask him/her. They know what policy you have and what coverage’s you have. People here do not, and can only guess or make assumptions.

 

[amdhunter]

If he's not listed on your policy as a a driver, your insurance isn't going to pay for the damage to your truck if the accident is his fault.

Yes they will.

 

[LTC8K6]

My policy states that anyone given permission from you to drive it are covered. However if they are living with you, I think they need to be on the policy.

/MI

So your brother with a clean record who lives with you needs to be on the policy, but the 4 time DUI crackhead on the street corner is good to go because you gave him the keys for a hit?

 

[Gibson486]

So your brother with a clean record who lives with you needs to be on the policy, but the 4 time DUI crackhead on the street corner is good to go because you gave him the keys for a hit?

that's how most insurance works.

 

[LTC8K6]

Yes they will.

If it's a one time thing, they probably will.

If you are regularly letting someone use your car, the insurance company needs to know and they need to be on the policy.

 

[LTC8K6]

that's how most insurance works.

No wonder it's expensive.

 

[Riverhound777]

So your brother with a clean record who lives with you needs to be on the policy, but the 4 time DUI crackhead on the street corner is good to go because you gave him the keys for a hit?

That is how mine works. It is retarded. They do it because people living with you are more likely to actually drive your car than that random person. But really that isn't the case most of the time. Say you have a GF who doesn't live with you, but drives your call all the time, that's just dandy! Or you can just never add your roommates to the policy and plead ignorance. Also works great with me living alone now!

 

[SooperDave]

So your brother with a clean record who lives with you needs to be on the policy, but the 4 time DUI crackhead on the street corner is good to go because you gave him the keys for a hit?

Crackhead has to have a valid DL. You are responsible to make sure that the person you let use your car is not impaired (at least at the time you lend it) and is licensed.

 

[BeauJangles]

If he's not listed on your policy as a a driver, your insurance isn't going to pay for the damage to your truck if the accident is his fault.

In MA this is not true. Lending your car to your buddy extends your policy over him. Obviously that doesn't negate something like a revoked license or if you "lend" it to him for a long period of time.

 

[HarryLui]

A guy drove his daughter's car and hit me. His daughter insurance paid the damage.

 

[JulesMaximus]

My insurance covers me no matter what car I drive. It may be limited to the relative value of my policy limits so if I wreck a $200,000 Ferrari they probably wouldn't cover too much of that.

 

[Zenmervolt]

For me, in Washington, with State Farm insurance, if I borrow a friend's car my own insurance will cover me. The same was true when I lived in Ohio (also with State Farm). I am not sure what would happen if I loaned my car to someone else though.

 

[slashbinslashbash]

For me, in Texas, with Progressive, it is both.

If I borrow a friend's car and wreck it, my insurance will cover it.

If my friend borrows my car and wrecks it, my insurance will cover it.

Of course this leads to double coverage in a lot of situations. If my friend is a good enough friend that I lend him my car, he damn well better get his insurance to cover any damage rather than pass it on to mine!

 

[hanoverphist]

That is a possibility too....

My policy states that anyone given permission from you to drive it are covered. However if they are living with you, I think they need to be on the policy.

/MI

Every state has different rules, each company has different policies.

Call your agent or company, ask him/her. They know what policy you have and what coverage’s you have. People here do not, and can only guess or make assumptions.

all of these. mine covers people i allow access to my vehicles, and if i wanted to cover myself as a driver of any vehicle i can add a premium to my coverage. it was pretty pricey last time i looked it up tho. either way, call youor agent, they have the only answer you should be listening to.

 

[exar333]

For me, in Texas, with Progressive, it is both.

If I borrow a friend's car and wreck it, my insurance will cover it.

If my friend borrows my car and wrecks it, my insurance will cover it.

Of course this leads to double coverage in a lot of situations. If my friend is a good enough friend that I lend him my car, he damn well better get his insurance to cover any damage rather than pass it on to mine!

Same here.

 

[Doggiedog]

I rented a car in Puerto Rico and got into a minor accident. I didn't take rental car insurance and my auto insurance paid for the damages.

Just an FYI in case you didn't know but if you have your own car insurance and you rent a car without taking their insurance thinking your credit card covers you, think again. The CC insurance becomes secondary insurance if you already have insurance. All they do is pay the deductible. If you have no insurance then the CC insurance will cover the accident but not the deductible. I didn't know that otherwise I would have gotten rental insurance. My (former) insurance company raised my rates over $1K for the accident even though it was only $750 total in damage and I had never had a claim with them.

 

[T2urtle]

i think the driver's insurance should cover the w/e the car they are driving if its like a one-time type of deal.

dealerships ask to photocopy license and insurance cards... if i was to crash the car i was test drive i will not be buying it.

 

[Shadow Conception]

Any idea what Geico does? Or do the nuances of a company's coverage vary by state as well?

 

[Ronstang]

Insurance is pretty much a scam. It SHOULD cover the person not the car but they want to rape you for owning multiple vehicles you cannot physically drive all at the same time. Your coverage should simply be based on the most expensive vehicle you own to insure.