Reader’s Question:

If my brother in Fargo ND who is not included in an auto insurance policy of my parents, drives their car, does his own car insurance cover him when something happens to our car while he is driving?

David

Fargo, ND

No. A person’s car insurance would not cover your vehicle if he caused damage to it while driving it. Generally speaking, the car owner’s policy, being the primary, will be used first in cases of accidents and the driver’s policy, being secondary, will be used in cases where the primary’s insurance limits are exceeded. However, this usually only pertains to liability insurance and not to physical damage coverages of collision and comprehensive.

In the event that a person gets involved in an accident where the car he’s using is not his own, his insurance policy’s “full coverages” of collision and comprehensive will not apply to the car he’s driving. Let’s take as an example for a clearer picture a person paying auto insurance premiums to have full coverage on a Ford Escort, borrowing a friend’s pricey Cadillac Escalade and wrecks it. Since the premiums that the driver has been paying for collision coverage on his Escort is not the same as the Cadillac owner’s premiums and thus having his insurance pay for a much pricier car to be repaired would not be something that an insurer would want to do.

So, while it is a sad thing to accept, your own insurance coverages would be used to fix the damages of your vehicle and not your friend’s who borrowed your car and crashed it. A hard-learned lesson of choosing who to trust. You may try contacting the insurance regulator in Fargo, ND who can give you consumer advice on this situation.

Tags: auto insurance, car