What if my Friend Crashed my Car?

If your friend crashes your car, you may be wondering what happens next. Will your insurance cover it? Or will you be forced to sue your friend to recover damages? The Del Rio & Caraway, P.C. team is here to provide you with some insight into this situation, including how we can help you.

Who is Liable?

Permissible Drivers

Liability truly depends on the situation of the accident. If a friend crashes your car, and your policy allows permissible drivers, then your insurance company will cover the damages. Liability insurance will cover injuries sustained by the other driver or passengers, while collision coverage will strictly cover the damages to your vehicle. If your car accident was caused by another person, their insurance should cover the damage to your car, including your friend’s injuries.

Non-Permissible and Uninsured Drivers

This is different if you did not give your friend permission to use your car. In this case, your friend’s auto insurance will kick in as primary coverage instead of your coverage. However, it may go through your policy if they do not have insurance.

But what if neither the vehicle owner nor the driver has insurance? Well, that means that there is no insurance policy to cover the accident—this means that the accident will be considered financially unrecoverable.

Excluded Driver

Sadly, all policies are built differently, and some policies exclude other drivers from operating your vehicle. Usually excluded drivers are those with a DUI on record or with a history of reckless driving. If your friend is excluded by the policy yet your car is still covered, both the insurance company and the driver cannot be found liable.

However, if the unlicensed driver is not excluded from your policy and the other party clearly caused the crash, the unlicensed driver can go forward with a personal injury claim. When this happens, you may have full coverage; however, you will be faced with a higher deductible and will see higher insurance rates in the future.

Talk With our Truck Accident Attorneys Today

At Del Rio & Caraway, P.C. our team of legal experts knows that accidents happen even when we are most cautious. We can help you pursue a claim if you were hit by someone’s friend driving a vehicle or if your friend was hit while driving your car. We can protect your rights at Del Rio & Caraway, P.C..

To get in touch with our team, call us at (916) 229-6755 or fill out a consultation request form.