We will assume for the purpose of this topic that your friend has valid insurance on his/her vehicle. Would the insurance cover you if you cause an accident while driving it?
Generally, the answer is YES. So long as you are driving the vehicle with the permission of your friend, his/her liability insurance would cover you too.
Question: What if my friend is not the owner of the car?
Generally, the answer is the same, so long as 1) he/she was driving with the permission of the owner, and 2) you were driving with permission from your friend.
Question: Does my insurance cover me for driving a friend’s car?
We will assume for this question that you have your own car and your own insurance, but while driving a friend’s vehicle, you cause a crash.
Generally, 1) your friend’s insurance is primary for the crash, and 2) your insurance is next in line.
Question: What do the insurance numbers mean on my policy. They look like this:
The Bodily Injury Liability limits are the amount of protection you have if you are at fault and cause injuries to others.
The listed amounts mean that your insurance company will pay up to $100,000 for any one person, and up to $300,000 for all persons injured.
The Property Damage Liability limits are the total your insurance company will pay for all property damage you cause to other vehicles in the crash.
The Uninsured Motorist limits are what your insurance company will pay you and/or any passengers in your car if the at-fault driver is uninsured.
The Underinsured Motorist limits are what your insurance company will pay you and/or any passengers in your car if the at-fault driver does not have adequate insurance.
The Comprehensive coverage pays for all damages to your car for any occurrence other than a crash (weather, a tree falls on your car, etc…).
The Collision coverage pays for all damages to your car resulting from a crash (regardless of who is at-fault).
Insurance coverage issues can be confusing and complicated. Indeed, insurance policies can be so confusing that even the insurance companies often need to hire attorneys to explain to them what their policies mean (I am not kidding about this).
Seems crazy right? Hopefully, now you better understand your insurance policy and coverages.
Been in an accident and need help? Zachar Law Firm is a Phoenix personal injury law firm, helping injured victims through Arizona for 25 years.
Call today with any questions, or to arrange for a free consultation with one of our experienced Phoenix personal injury attorneys.
