Who Pays If Your Friend Crashes Your Car

We’ve all loaned a friend our car, usually as a favor to them. In general, car insurance follows the car and not the driver, so your auto insurance policy will cover anything that happens to the vehicle and the driver during that time. Your friend’s insurance, on the other hand, may not cover damages while they are driving your vehicle. 

What’s important in these situations is to check your insurance policy, advise The Pendergrass Law Firm – car accident law firm. You want to be crystal clear regarding what your plan covers and what it doesn’t. If you need assistance with your car insurance claim, then it’s beneficial to speak to an attorney who can read your insurance policy, interpret it for you, and advise you on what you should do next.

For example, if your friend doesn’t regularly drive your car, then they may be covered under your plan. However, if your friend regularly borrows your car, they should be listed in your car insurance policy. If they aren’t, then you may have a problem with the insurance company. If they are your roommate, for example, and they regularly borrow your car and one day get into an accident but are not on your insurance, then your claim may be denied. Some less-expensive insurance plans exclude family members in the same household and only cover the primary driver, meaning they could deny the claim if a friend caused the accident.

Car Insurance Coverage

Georgia drivers must have liability coverage that meets the state minimum requirements, though they can purchase more if they choose. The required minimum Georgia auto insurance coverages are:

• Bodily injury liability: $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident
• Property damage liability: $25,000 per accident
• Uninsured motorist bodily injury: $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident
• Uninsured motorist property damage: $25,000 with a deductible ranging between $250 and $1000

Your liability coverage could cover the damages your friend caused to themselves or others. Your collision insurance will cover damage to your vehicle, like repairing or replacing it.

Liability

The question of who will pay for your car also depends on what your friend was doing at the time of the accident. An investigation will be conducted into the cause of the crash. If they were speeding, intoxicated, texting, or otherwise breaking the law, then they could be held liable for their actions. In fact, your insurance company may deny your claim because of your friend’s illegal actions.

Contact An Attorney

Working with car insurance companies is tricky, especially when you are in the middle of a case that involves a driver who is not on the policy. These cases are also very tricky because they involve a friend, and emotions and feelings often get deeply invested or hurt in the process. That’s why it is so important for you to work with a trusted and experienced personal injury attorney who focuses on these types of car accidents. You can get the most compensation possible and, hopefully, still maintain a strong friendship. A car accident can be very disturbing, but when you work with an experienced attorney, you are aware of your rights under the law.