What a lot of people don’t realize is that car insurance follows the car – not the driver. This means, if someone other than you drives your car and gets into a crash, your insurance will still be responsible.
Whether or not your insurance covers damages caused by a car accident depends on a few things:
- Who was at fault?
- Did the person have permission to drive your car?
- Is the person specifically excluded from your policy?
Your Douglasville auto accident lawyer will help you figure this all out. A car accident can be confusing enough. When you add a third-party driver into the mix, it can become very complicated.
One reason you may not want your policy to cover the damages sustained in the accident is that your rates will go up. This is unavoidable. If someone driving your car gets into an accident in Georgia, your insurance will probably be liable.
Insurance Follows the Car – Not the Driver
All drivers are required to carry auto insurance in Georgia. However, if someone doesn’t own a car, they’re not going to maintain car insurance. They probably rely on Uber or public transportation.
But there are situations where someone either shares a car with their spouse or lets their family member borrow it from time to time. In these situations, you have to expect your insurance to cover damages caused by your car.
The best way to remember this is that insurance follows the car – not the driver. So, no matter who is driving your car (with a few exceptions) – your insurance will cover any damages caused by them in a collision.
Let’s look at an example:
John drives a 2017 Cadillac. He has full coverage because his car is still financed. He has a perfect driving record. On Fridays, John lets his son take his car to work. One Friday, on the way to work, John’s son gets into an accident. The accident is deemed to be John’s fault. The other driver’s car is totaled and they suffer very serious injuries.
In this case, John’s insurance will have to cover the other driver’s injuries and expenses. Since John’s son was at fault, John’s insurance will have to pay the claim. This means that John’s insurance rates will more than likely go way up.
What is the Person Driving Your Car Has Their Own Insurance?
One question a lot of people has is what if the person driving your car already has insurance. In the example above, John’s son may have his own car with his own insurance. Why wouldn’t his insurance the accident involving the Cadillac?
The reason for this is that insurance follows the car, not the driver. Now, if John’s insurance policy doesn’t cover all of the other driver’s damages, then his son’s policy will kick in. It will cover any damages that exceed John’s policy.
This can be helpful in certain situations. For example, let’s change the example above a little bit. Let’s say that John’s Cadillac is in the shop. John has full coverage on his car. John’s son drives a twenty (20) year old car. He hasn’t paid his car insurance premiums in months. His dad doesn’t know this. John uses his son’s car to go to work. He gets into an accident. They deem that John is at fault.
John’s son has no insurance. This means that the other driver may have to file suit against his son personally. However, since John also has insurance, it will kick in to cover the other driver’s injuries.
Are These Exceptions to the Rule?
Your Douglasville auto accident lawyer understand that insurance flow with the car not the driver. However, they also understand that this isn’t always the case. There are exceptions to this rule in Georgia:
- If the person driving the car is specifically excluded from the owner’s policy, the accident won’t be covered
- If the person driving your car doesn’t have a valid driver’s license, your insurance will deny the claim
- If the person who gets into the crash was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the accident won’t be covered
If your situation falls into one of these categories, your attorney will let you know.
Contact an Experienced Auto Accident Lawyer in Douglasville, Georgia
If someone gets into a crash while driving your car, you need to call an auto accident lawyer in Douglasville. Your attorney knows exactly how insurance works in these cases. They’ll review your case and let you know what options you may have.
Call The Law Office of John B. Jackson today and schedule your initial consultation. It’s absolutely free and you pay nothing until you settle your case.