What Happens If Someone Else Is Driving My Car And Gets In An Accident?
By Pyle Law, Reviewed by E. Thomas Pyle April 14 2023 2:55 pmIt makes sense that if another person is driving your car, they would be responsible for any damages incurred while driving it.
However, the truth is that should this person be in a car accident, liability can default to the insurer of the owner of the vehicle and not the driver. Therefore, the vehicle owner’s insurance company will be responsible for paying the claim. If you are in need of help sorting out this type of challenging scenario, contact a car accident lawyer in Kansas today.
In most cases, your insurance will be responsible for covering damages for a car accident when someone else drove your car. This is true in most states. Depending on insurance coverages in your policy, your insurer may be responsible for the following:
Whether or not you gave the person who used your car permission to use your vehicle or not is a key point in determining if your insurance will become a part of the claim.
If you gave the person driving your car permission to use your vehicle, then your insurance will cover this driver in the event of an accident. (In most cases, it will also cover individuals you list on your policy.)
If someone drives your car without permission and they get into an accident, then your insurance will not be required to cover damages. Instead, the insurance company of the driver who took your car will be considered the primary insurance provider.
If this person doesn’t have insurance, however, you may have to file a claim with your insurance company to cover the cost of damages to the other vehicle.
Trust in my 20+ years of personal injury litigation experience to secure the outcome you deserve. From personal injury, car accidents, workers compensation and more, I handle it all with a commitment to justice. Just like one of our $2M Personal Injury case results, I fight tirelessly to ensure you receive maximum compensation for your injuries. We guarantee the protection of your rights throughout the entire process.
Say your insurance covers damages from a permissive driver who is in an accident. Damages are $50,000, and your insurance stops at $20,000 in coverage. Then the injured party may request the remaining balance from the insurance company of the driver of your vehicle.
Another example is if damages cost $5,000 and your insurance company covers the entire amount. They may still ask the insurance company of the driver of your vehicle to recoup some of the costs based on each individual’s insurance policy and state requirements.
If your car has been in an accident and another person was the driver, or if you were the driver of another person’s car and have been in an accident, a car accident attorney may be able to help. Contact us today for a free consultation at (620) 241-9000 or (888) 381-1155.
Pyle Law was founded in 1999 with a commitment to fewer clients and better service. We believe that each and every client is important and everyone is entitled to justice and equal protection under our laws. We make every case a priority and are committed to keeping each client informed about the status of their case. We do not guarantee results, but we do guarantee effort.
This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by attorney E. Thomas Pyle who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a practicing personal injury trial attorney.
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