Does car insurance cover the person or the vehicle, or is it a case-by-case situation?
Here’s the context: My wife needed to go somewhere while her car is being repaired, and I was at work. I suggested that she use one of her parents’ three cars, but she mentioned she isn’t insured to drive them. This surprised me since I thought car insurance allowed me to drive any car, as long as I have the owner’s permission. Can anyone clarify how this works?
Car insurance can function a bit differently depending on the specific policy and the laws in your state. Generally, car insurance primarily follows the car, meaning that the vehicle itself has a policy that provides coverage, but it also depends on the liability coverage in that policy. Most personal auto insurance policies do cover permissive drivers—meaning if you have permission to drive someone else’s car, you are typically covered under the car owner’s insurance in the event of an accident. However, your wife’s situation might indicate that her parents’ insurance has specific restrictions or doesn’t allow permissive use, or that the type of coverage they have may not extend to other drivers.
It’s also worth noting that some insurance companies have stricter rules about who can drive their vehicles, especially if the vehicles are not regularly used by those drivers.
In summary, while it’s common for car insurance to cover permissive drivers, it ultimately depends on the terms of the specific policy in question. It’s always a good idea to check with the insurance provider for clarity on coverage specifics.