If our son wrecked his friend’s motorcycle but the insurance company didn’t cover the total payoff, are we responsible to pay balance?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If our son wrecked his friend’s motorcycle but the insurance company didn’t cover the total payoff, are we responsible to pay balance?
My young adult son had an accident on his friends motorcycle, that he had permission from his friend to ride even though he doesn’t have an endorsement for it on his license. Subsequently totaled the bike and had several injuries himself including broken bones, one of which required surgery, plates and screws. The bike had full coverage, the friend’s dad told me their insurance would cover medical expenses, it has, up to $1,000. I am up to $3,500 out of pocket after our health coverage and the bike insurance at this point. I immediately offered to pay the $500 deductible on the bike insurance and that was the end of it. A week later I get a text message stating that they had a $20,000 note on the bike,
insurance only paid $12,000 and I needed to cover the remaining amount. I’ve asked for copies of the insurance claim payout and the bank payoff, since only days prior, the friend stated he had received a check from insurance for $17,000. It feels a little sketchy, nevertheless, legally are we responsible for the remaining balance on the bike?I personally wouldn’t let, for example, someone without a license drive my car, yet
they allowed someone without a motorcycle endorsement to ride their bike. I hate
that all of this has happened, but I’m mostly grateful my son isn’t in worse shape
than he is.
Asked on July 3, 2017 under Accident Law, New Mexico
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
If they were paid the then-current fair market value of the motorcycle, you are not responsible for the remaining balance on the motorcycle. When a vehicle is damaged or destroyed by someone, the owner is entitled to what the vehicle is then worth, which may be less than they paid or owed (e.g. if the financed it) or more (if it was a gift, for example). They are only entitled to the motorcycle's "blue book" value, and if they wanted to be protected against having to pay the remaining balance on a totalled motorcycle, they should have purchased "Gap" insurance.
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.