Few of the motorists on the road have dared to drive without car insurance. Still, some do assume that risk. If one of those risk-accepting drivers gets involved in an auto accident, then he or she has a simple question: Am I covered?
The questions that such a person should be asking:
What sort of car insurance did the owner of this vehicle have? Did it include personal injury protection, which is also known as PIP coverage? Did the owner’s policy offer property damage liability benefits?
Anyone who borrows a set-of-wheels should know that automobile insurance covers the car and not the driver.
If the person that was loaned the damaged vehicle caused the accident, then his or her insurance becomes responsible for any damages. If the amount of damage exceeds the limit on the driver’s policy, then the owner’s insurance must make up the difference. If a third party was responsible for the unfortunate incident, then the owner’s insurance pays for damages, up to the limit stated in the policy. If the amount of damage exceeds that limit, then the driver’s insurance must cover the difference.
Exceptions to the above rules:
The Personal Injury Lawyer in Kitchener knows that the owner of a vehicle has the right to name any person that can be excluded from coverage at any time. In other words, if that excluded individual should be foolish enough to grab the keys to the owner’s automobile, and then have an accident, then he or she would not be covered.
Moreover, the insurance company would refuse to pay for damages. Hence, the owner would have reason to sue the careless driver. That would be the only way by which the owner could get compensated for the damage to his or her automobile.
What sort of person might be excluded from coverage by a car owner? It is usually someone with a poor driving record, and someone that lives in the same home as the car owner. The insurance company automatically excludes one other group of drivers.Those are the drivers that did not hesitate to sit behind the steering wheel after consuming a large amount of alcohol or after taking a strong medication or illegal drug. If a car owner were to give his or her keys to someone that made such a foolish move, that foolish driver would not enjoy coverage of any injuries, should his or her actions cause a collision.
Suppose someone that is under the influence of drugs or alcohol steals someone’s car and then collides with another vehicle. Is the car’s owner responsible for the damages in such a situation?
No, that would be an exception to the exception. As long as the owner had reported the car as stolen, the damages caused by the drunken or drugged driver would not become the owner’s responsibility. On the other hand, if some friend had taken the keys, and no report of a stolen car had been received, the insurance would not cover the damages.