Borrowing a Car and Car Insurance

What happens if you are driving a car that belongs to someone else and you wind up in a fender-bender? Does your car insurance follow you? Or does your friend’s insurance come into play? And likewise, what if your friend gets into an accident in your car?

Here is what you need to know regarding whether or not insurance follows the driver or the car:

  • Auto liability insurance coverage will follow the driver no matter what car they are driving, as long as it is an insured vehicle. What is an insured vehicle? An insured vehicle may include a friend’s car, a neighbor’s car or a rental car.
  • Comprehensive and collision auto insurance coverage follows the car. This is the insurance that will cover damages to the insured vehicle that is in the accident (up to a certain policy limit). In general, if a driver is insured, their coverage will follow them whenever they are driving. This includes any uninsured motorist coverage and medical.
  • Property damage may also follow the driver when driving a car that belongs to someone else.
  • Medical pay and bodily injury insurance usually follows the driver, not the car. Medical coverage will pay for any injuries an insured driver or their passengers may get in an accident.

Understanding your auto insurance coverage

The most important thing is to understand the insurance coverage you have. If you have a good handle on the policies you have purchased, it will be easier to understand what coverage will follow you when driving or riding in vehicles other than your own. While it’s nearly impossible to memorize the details of your coverage, if you need clarification on whether or not you have insurance coverage for a particular situation, ask your agent!

Have you been in an accident where you didn’t know if your coverage carried over or not?

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