Does My Insurance Cover Other Drivers of My Car?

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When will my car insurance cover other drivers?
How does my insurance cover another driver of my car?
How much do I have to pay if another driver is in an accident in my car?
If basic car insurance doesn't cover other drivers, what will?
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When will my car insurance cover other drivers?

I let my friend borrow my car so she could drive it to work. On her way to work, she got in an accident and it was her fault. She has insurance but she was driving my car, so it got me wondering if my insurance will cover my friend? 

In most cases, your personal auto policy will cover any permissive user. A permissive user is of course any person that you give permission to drive your car. 

However, some policies are eliminating this feature as drivers opt for the cheapest policy possible. We've all seen the commercials for car insurance from The General, or companies promoting the cheapest car insurance on the market. Sure, they do, but at a cost to your benefits. Usually, cheap insurance will restrict the list of people who can drive your car, or not extend your insurance to anyone else driving your car.

If no one ever drives your car, its not a big deal, but it's something to remember if you're going to purchase cheap insurance.

How does my insurance cover another driver of my car?

My son's car broke down and so he borrowed my car to go to school. He was driving to school when he rear-ended the person driving in front of him. I know what would happen if I was the one driving, but since it was my son, how is the accident covered? 

In fact, it's covered exactly the same way it would be if you were driving your car. In this scenario, that would be through your liability coverage. This provides coverage for any damage or injuries you cause to a third party if you are responsible for an accident. 

You would need to file a claim, just as if you were the person driving. You'll provide the insurance with your son's information and then the claim will be handled as usual. They'll connect you with a body shop to get your car fixed, and your liability insurance will cover your vehicle and the vehicle that your son rear-ended.

How much do I have to pay if another driver is in an accident in my car?

I went out to get some drinks with a friend. I realized I had drunk a little too much to drive home, so I let her drive my car. On the way home, she got in an accident. Am I going to have to pay for the damage she did? 

Your insurance will cover the damage to your car the same as it would if you were driving. What that means is that they'll cover the damage as long as it's within your policy limit, and all that you will owe is your deductible. 

Your deductible could be anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars. But you and your friend won't have to pay for the damage to your car. 

If basic car insurance doesn't cover other drivers, what will? 

My coworker and I wanted to get lunch, but she doesn't have a car. I didn't really feel like driving so I told her she could drive my car. We slid on some ice on our way to the restaurant and hit the guard rail. My car definitely has some damage that needs to be fixed, but my insurance said I don't have the proper insurance. So if my basic insurance doesn't cover other drivers, what will? 

If your policy is restricted on who is considered a covered person, you need to talk to your insurance agent about correcting that. Ninety percent of people who have a car insurance policy are going to have coverage for anyone that has permission to use their car. 

There is the rare occasion when a policy will not have that, so if you have one that doesn't do that, you need to talk with our agent about getting that fixed and getting a different policy.