If I loan someone my vehicle who would be liable if an accident occurs?
Full Question:
Answer:
If you allow someone to borrow your car and that person gets into an accident, your car insurance will pay any liable claims. Car insurance stays with the vehicle, not the person. An exception is if you are driving someone else's car and that person does not have insurance or not enough and you are at fault for an accident. Your insurance should cover the claim. However, insurance will not cover people who borrow your car that are specifically excluded in the policy.
You can be held liable for any damages caused by someone you allow to drive your car. If you don't have enough insurance, and the driver has no insurance then you are liable to pay out of your pocket. Make sure that the person you let drive your car is a reliable and safe driver. The insurance on the vehicle is the primary coverage, the insurance of the driver is secondary. You cannot tell an insurance company to cover the damages if there is coverage on the car itself, even if you were the one driving.
However, if your friend gets a speeding ticket when using your car, any surcharge points assessed will affect the driver’s policy, not the vehicle owner’s policy. It is recommended to check with your insurance agent to make sure you have coverage if you let another person drive your car. If your policy doesn’t provide such coverage and the person driving your vehicle doesn’t have insurance, you could be held financially liable for any injuries and/or property damage resulting from an accident.