Am I insured under my sister’s car insurance policy?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Am I insured under my sister’s car insurance policy?
She told me that I could drive her car while she is out of the country. I fell asleep at the wheel and damaged both my sister’s car and 2 parked cars.
Asked on June 28, 2017 under Accident Law, Virginia
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
You probably are not insured unless she notified the insurer that you were going to be a regular driver of her vehicle. While someone can once-in-a-blue moon let a friend or family member drive their car, anyone who will regularly drive it must be listed as a permitted or regular driver (and the insured--i.e. your sister--will probably have to pay a premium increase for adding a driver, since that increases the risk (more drivers = more risk)). If you were using your sister's car while she was out of the country for any length of time, she likely needed to notify the insurer that you'd be driving her car and have them add you to the policy. Her failure to do so may let them deny coverage.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.