Who Is Liable If My Car Is Involved In An Accident But I Was Not Driving?

The main concept to understand when it comes to accidents of this nature is that Car Insurance is insurance on the car itself, rather than the driver.

Therefore, as long as you have Car Insurance, your vehicle will most likely be covered if it is involved in an accident while someone else is driving.

Likewise, if the accident was determined to be the other driver's fault, their insurance will be held responsible for damages.

If someone else causes an accident with your car, the insurance on your vehicle will generally cover all of the damages.

If the at fault driver has their own insurance policy with liability coverage and collision coverage, it could act as secondary insurance if the limit of your policy are reached.

In the article below, we will examine what exactly happens if someone else wrecks your car.

WHAT IF THE PERSON DRIVING YOUR CAR HAS INSURANCE?

If the driver of your vehicle has their own insurance policy, then that coverage will act secondary to yours.

What this means is that your insurance will pay for the damages including medical bills resulting in bodily injury and other expenses up to your coverage amount, and if there is any leftover bill, the driver's insurance will cover it.

There could be exceptions to the above guidelines that can result in your being held liable, or your insurance refusing to pay for your car's damages.

One exception that can leave you hung out to dry is if the person who drives your car was specifically excluded from your coverage.

Many times, people will exclude a driver from their coverage because they have a poor driving record, which would cause their insurance to be more expensive.

If you allow the excluded person to drive your car and they get into a crash, your insurance will not be obligated to pay for any of the resulting damages.

Another exception to these rules involves the state of the driver at the time of the accident.

If you allow a person to drive your car who is under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol, or they do not have a valid driver's license, you will most likely be held liable.

PROTECT YOUR AUTO INSURANCE

If you have auto insurance, you want to do everything you can to stay in good standing with your insurance company.

You don't want your insurance rates or premiums to go up or be in a situation where you are responsible for an accident you weren't involved in.

The best way to do this is to never let anyone drive your car.

However, there might be times when someone is in need of a vehicle and you may be the only one who can help.

This is why you need to have a good understanding of the policy you have with your insurance company.

Many people don't know the finer details of their policy, including their policy limit, who the plan covers, and what happens in the event of an accident.

You can go over your insurance policy with your insurance company so they can explain your insurance coverage and answer any questions.

When you have this conversation about your insurance coverage with your insurance agent, you can gain more insight on your deductible and the parameters of your policy.

You might find that you want to add something to the policy, like more liability coverage, that can give you added peace of mind.

Check out a related blog: Is the car making a left hand turn always at fault?