Car insurance : Totaled on the test drive: Who pays?
>What happens if a car gets totaled in a test drive? Have you heard of any incident like this ?
Totaled on the test drive: Who pays?
Response : A very interesting question. Car insurance for that matter insurance is always interesting though most people think it is a very dry subject. Since it touches most aspect of human life, you hear of all sorts of interesting incidents of accidents and claims. Car insurance and car accidents are no different.
Yes, I know of such an incident. This happened in 2007 right in front of us. As usual we were leaving office with a couple of friends for the day. Our office was right next ot the Toyota showroom. Seeing the new cars in the showroom as well as the others lined outside in the compound- the one’s which had just come out of the lease and were waiting to be sold.
It was excatly 4.45 and we saw a teenage boy driving the Toyota and he was trying to enter the compund of the Toyota complex, while another Toyota was just getting out of the compound. Instead of keeping to the right, the teenager entered into the wrong lane and there was a big bang. The Totyto was crushed from both sides, from the front and also the back since the force sent the car towards the back and it collided with another vehicle just behind it. Who was responsible for the accident? Being a claims person in this field – it intruded me. I had known Bob Klenn the Manager at Toyta for years and seeing him standing there, I approached him. He informed me that the car which was a total loss, had just been bought by Travis and the boy trying out the car was Glenn, who had just signed a waiver. However, since obviously the boy would not have insurance which might be good enough for the porperty damage caused- Toyota having an insurance policy of their own, covering test drives, they would be paying for the damage. This is the coverage which is normally underwritten under an Auto dealers policy and most Auto dealers who are doing a full time business of selling car would be having this coverage. This would become a commercial car insurance risk and would not be underwritten by the personal lines. The validity of waivers which are common underwriting tools and can be used for defending or reducing the contribution of a claim are not always valid in all states. In states where it is valid, the insurance company would settle the claim for the dealership but would than get the subrogation rights and would go after Glenn’s auto insurer for Third party property damages.
What happens in case of Personal car insurance
In case you have given an adversitment on Craiglist, Kiji or any other popular buy and sell sites which are good for selling personal items and if someone comes to buy the car and goes on the test drive, it would be best to ensure that the person who is driving the car has a liability coverage and a car insruance policy. Obviously, you would not get anything on the own damage of the vehicle if you have not kept the insurance of the car, but in case of a car accident the liability portion follows the car driver and hence his insurance would be affected. However, it is best to have your car insurance coverage till you sell your car. Normally a second car would be covered on the same insurance for 15 days by most insurance companies. Ask them this before you buy another vehicle. Ring up your insurer and clarify this. The insurance company gives you 15 days time to cover the other vehicle. Hence first decide on the buyer of the old vehicle and then go and get your new vehicle.
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