Will I Have Insurance Coverage if I Drive a Borrowed Car?

Maybe your own car just didn’t start that morning, or you don’t have a car of your own, or your teenager needed it for school. Whatever the reason, you find yourself accepting a friend’s kind offer to allow you to drive her car for your errands. Three miles later, you’re involved in an automobile accident, and the driver who hit you doesn’t have adequate insurance. Are you covered?

Well, maybe.

Like with most things involving insurance, a lot depends on what the policy says. Because insurance is essentially a contract between the insurance company and the policy-holder, it doesn’t cover anything not included in the policy or specifically required by statute. For that reason, before you borrow someone else’s car, you should know the answers to a few questions:

Does your own car insurance policy cover borrowed vehicles?

Usually the answer is yes: Your insurance coverage will normally act as back up coverage to any insurance your friend had on the vehicle. There are some exceptions, however: If your friend’s car was available for your regular use, then you might not have insurance coverage under your policy. Likewise, if your “friend” was a relative of yours living in your same home and that car was not listed on your insurance policy, then your insurance policy might actually exclude coverage on that vehicle.

Does the policy on the borrowed car cover you?

Probably yes: If the owner of the car gave you permission to borrow it, you will most often be covered by their policy, though there are circumstances where that coverage might not protect you.  Again, those are situations where the car is available for your regular use or if the car is owned by a relative with whom you live and you are not named on the insurance policy covering the car.

If you have been involved in an automobile accident in a borrowed vehicle, understanding the ins and outs of the insurance policy can be complicated. David Duce has the experience to help you. Contact us today for a free consultation.