Going for Supper bowl game, would another driver driving my car be covered under car insurance?
ben gazzara: We have seen the super-bowl commercials for 2012 and decided to go for the super-bowl games. Would it be fine if one of my friend drives my car. Would my car insurance policy cover him?
car insurance coverage superbowl games
Car insurance- What if another driver drives your car.
Response : These are the common questions which we hear , “Does my car insurance cover other drivers?”, or “Does auto insurance cover the car or the person?” In most of the United States,it is mandatory for all car owners to carry minimum coverage in order to be able to legally drive, so understanding auto insurance can make the difference between who you allow to drive your car and who you decide should stay in the passenger seat.
Does Your car Insurance Cover Another Driver?
Knowing what car insurance will cover and what it will not is especially important when it comes to friends driving your car. There is a wide variety of car insurance coverages which are normally available to you, each with its own features. The car insurance coverages differ from each insurance company. Before you let a friend borrow your car, you should know if your auto insurance coverage applies to them. It is best to read your car insurance policy and find out what is covered. You can in fact ring up the insurance company or your broker to find out what is covered. Go through the definitions of the different types of coverage to get an idea of the protection they offer. Then call your insurance company. They will be able to give you a complete rundown of coverage features.
Lets discuss each of the car insurance coverages.
Auto insurance Liability Coverage
Liability car insurance coverage follows a driver no matter what car they are driving. Most states require at least liability coverage and many states have assistance programs for low income residents who qualify. Liability coverage is what allows a driver to drive a friend’s car and still be covered under their own auto insurance policy. If you plan to allow your friends to drive your car, one of the questions you should ask is about what kind and level of insurance coverage they already own. Knowing the answer may prevent problems down the line should they be driving your car and an accident occurs. In case of an accident it would be their own liability coverage which would be the first payee. If there limits are low, as the owner of the car you would not escape liability and your car insurance company would also be called upon to pay if required.
Comprehensive and Collision
Comprehensive and collision auto insurance coverage are specifically linked to the car that is being covered. These policies provide coverage for damage that may occur to a car as a result of an accident or vandalism. Charges for comprehensive and collision coverage are usually higher than liability coverage and they are additional expenses to the policy. The comprehensive car insurance coverages follow the car and hence if your friend is involved in an accident your car insurance policy would pay for this.
Other Drivers
The question of allowing other drivers to drive your car and whether or not they will be covered by your existing auto insurance is an important one. Unfortunately, there is no blanket yes or no answer, since this is something that varies from policy to policy.
When purchasing auto insurance, you should talk to the agent about who precisely is covered and what happens if you give permission to someone to drive your car and there is an accident. If you have complete coverage, many insurance carriers will cover the driver, but only at the minimum coverage limits. However, there are certainly insurance carriers who will not cover any driver who is not specifically named in the policy.
Another important factor can be where that person resides and if they are related to you. In general, if someone is living in your household and they regularly drive your car, then the insurance carrier expects you to have that person named on the policy. They will need to undergo the same underwriting and qualification process as any other policy holder.
In some cases, if a family member is visiting and has permission from you to drive the car, then the insurance company will cover them if there is an accident, but the coverage may be limited. Additionally, in the future, that person may be specifically excluded from any future inclusion on the policy and your rates may increase as a result of any accidents.
When purchasing auto insurance, carefully review the details on excluded drivers and any limitations on coverage for anyone driving the car who is not specifically named on the policy.
When your friend is driving your car with your permission, in case of an accident and he already has a car insurance policy of his own, he would be covered under his own policy for liability. Again if the accident is serious and his limits are exhausted, your car insurance policy or insurer would have to be pay for the same. The damage to your car would be paid from your comprehensive policy.
Check out the clause of “Who is the Insured” and also the definition of Named Insured and Insured or Named Driver and Included Driver clause or definitions of the policy since it would be different for each insurer.
Enjoy your Superbowl game. Drive safe. Even I loved the Superbowl commercial for 2012 and have also checked out the recipes for Superbowl 2012.
Kamlesh
Teen auto insurance
