So, you let someone else borrow your truck. Then, he or she was involved in a motor vehicle accident. Is this something that is covered under your insurance policy? What happens if the other driver doesn’t have insurance? What happens at the accident wasn’t even the fault of the person who borrowed your truck? These are a lot of complicated questions. Therefore, the answer should (as no surprise) be, “it depends.”
The Person Borrowing Your Truck Was Not At Fault For The Accident
If you allow someone to borrow your truck and he or she is involved in an accident that is not his or her fault, this situation should be very clear. The insurance company of the other driver should cover all expenses related to the accident. If the other driver was not insured, that is illegal. Therefore, he or she could be issued a ticket, but you would still have to file a lawsuit against the other driver for the remaining expenses.
You and the person you allowed to drive your truck should not have to pay for any of the expenses. The other driver’s insurance company should cover the cost.
The Person Borrowing Your Personal Truck Was At Fault For The Accident
If you allow someone to borrow your truck and that person is at fault for the accident, the situation is a bit more complicated. If the person borrowing your truck has an insurance policy, then there is a good chance that the insurance policy will cover the expenses of the other party involved.
At the same time, even though insurance coverage is for a person, not a vehicle, an insurance policy usually follows the vehicle. So, the first thing you need to do is contact your insurance company and let your insurance company know that you gave that person permission to drive your truck. Otherwise, your insurance company could treat this as a stolen vehicle situation and report it to the police.
Once you let the insurance company know that you gave the person permission to operate your truck, they should cover the expenses related to your vehicle repairs (as long as you have collision or comprehensive coverage). Furthermore, this is still something you need to clarify with your insurance company. It depends on the language in your policy.
Have the Right Insurance Coverage
Ultimately, you need to make sure you understand how your insurance coverage work. Particularly if you are insuring a fleet of commercial vehicles, you need to understand exactly when the insurance coverage is present and when it is not. That way, you can make sure that you understand exactly how much money you could be responsible for if one of your vehicles requires repairs. If you have questions or concerns about this specific situation, you should reach out to your insurance company for clarification.