Negosentro.com | Who is Responsible When A Borrowed Car Is Involved In An Accident? | can often have very serious consequences. Many accidents result in costly damage to vehicles, serious injuries and even death. Being involved in a traffic accident can be very painful for all involved and can have a major impact on your health, wealth and happiness. It is vital to make good decisions as a driver, but some decisions that may seem like the right thing to do may actually be big mistakes. If you have drank too much on a night out for example, it may seem like a good idea to let your sober friend drive your car home. On the face of it, this seems like the right thing to do. But what happens if that person is involved in an accident? What if someone gets hurt or their property is damaged? Are you responsible or is the driver responsible? Are they covered by your insurance?
There are hundreds of thousands of accidents every year on roads around the world and they
In this article we will attempt to answer all of these questions.
What Are The Rules Around Driving Someone Else’s Car?
This is the big question and it should play a major part in your decision to borrow someone else’s car or lend someone yours. In insurance terms, it is defined as “driving other cars” or DOC which tends to be included in most comprehensive insurance policies or is at least offered as an additional option. In this instance, the person has been asked or been given permission by the owner to drive the car. This usually does not mean anyone at all can drive the car. DOC usually extends to partners, parents or children. As long as you have DOC coverage, you are technically covered if someone crashes your car.
What Circumstances Are There Where DOC Coverage Doesn’t Work?
As seen above the limits of who is and who is not covered under a DOC clause are quite strict. DOC rarely extends to friends and very few policies will cover drivers under the age of 25, whether they are your children or not. If there is an incident involving someone else driving your car, your insurance company may want to know the circumstances of them driving it. In short, had they expressly asked, or were they given express permission to drive the car on this occasion? According to Stephen Whiskin from the WayManAndLong law firm, you might or might not be liable for a car accident that occurs when someone else is driving your vehicle; a lot will depend on whether or not the driver had your permission to borrow it. This of course does not mean when someone steals your car and has an accident. If you decide to lend your car to your friend, who is not covered under DOC, then you may be personally liable for any damage or injuries that they cause while driving your car.
What Should You Do If Your Car Is Involved In An Accident While Being Driven By Someone Else?
It is a common misconception that the owner of the car can give permission to someone else to drive it and that this will fulfill some kind of culpability requirements. The consequences facing the driver vary widely depending on the severity of the incident. As well as having to pay compensation to any victims who are injured or whose property is damaged, the owner could incur hefty fines or even a prison sentence. If your vehicle is in an accident the first thing you should do is to contact your insurance company to find out if your vehicle is covered and if necessary you should seek specialized legal representation. If somebody has been injured in the accident, there is a good chance that they will want to make a compensation claim against you. An accident lawyer will be able to look at your insurance policy and advise you as to your rights both under the terms of the policy and under the law. As the consequences are potentially very serious, you should make sure that the legal representation you hire is competent and experienced in this kind of incident.
Many people do not understand the rules regarding driving someone else’s car and there are a huge number of cases where a person has had an accident in someone else’s car and the owner finds that their insurance company will not pay for the damages. More often than not, the driver will find that they have invalidated the terms of their car insurance policy and are now culpable for the consequences of the accident
