Loaned Vehicles Update
My 21-year-old son has his own insured vehicle, but he lives out of town while attending school, so his legal address is different from mine. He frequently drives my spare vehicle, which is also fully insured, but recently he got into an accident with it. I was under the impression that the car would still be covered under these circumstances.
I filed a claim with my insurance, but their initial response was to request a form indicating that my son “may live in the household” and “may regularly drive the vehicle.” It turns out their definition of “regular use” is more than once a week. He typically drives my vehicle occasionally and sometimes swaps it with his own, leaving his car at my place.
Now I’m wondering whether they will deny my claim. The damage is probably under $5,000, so it’s not a huge concern.
Edit: Interestingly, I’m also lending a different vehicle to both my son and daughter this week for a trip to Florida. My daughter has her own car and insurance as well, but like my son, she is currently living away at college and has never driven this particular vehicle. Before seeing the responses to this thread, I would have thought this arrangement was perfectly fine.
It sounds like you’re in a tricky situation with your insurance claim. Many insurance companies do have specific definitions regarding “household” members and regular use, which can complicate situations like this one. Since your son does have his own vehicle and insurance, that might help a bit, but the insurer could still consider the frequency of his use of your vehicle.
Since they sent you a form regarding whether he “may live in the household” and “may regularly drive the vehicle,” it’s likely they are trying to determine if he falls under their definition of a household member. If they decide that he does live there or uses the vehicle regularly (even if it’s just occasionally), they might deny the claim.
In the case of loaning the other vehicle to your daughter, since she hasn’t driven it before and has her own insurance, that could complicate things as well. It’s often best to check directly with your insurance agent about your specific situation and get clarity on their policies. They can provide guidance on how to proceed and what options you might have for both claims.
It’s always good to be proactive in understanding your insurance policy, especially in situations where multiple family members are involved. Good luck!