Q: Liability involving a borrowed car
My son borrowed a friends truck. He was involved in a minor fender bender that was his fault. Both vehicles have damage and no injuries. What is his liability exposure ?
A:
If your son had the friend's permission to drive the truck and the friend had auto insurance, the friend's insurance will likely cover the repair costs after the deductible. If the friend did not have auto insurance and your son does, your son's insurance will likely cover the repair costs after the deductible. If neither had insurance, both the friend (as owner) and your son (as operator) could be responsible for the repair costs.
Consider the cost of repair, deductibles and possible increase in insurance premiums to determine if it would be less expensive to take care of the repairs without using any insurance. If no insurance is used/available, your son should still get the owners to sign a release after an agreement is reached to prevent them from coming back later and saying there is additional damage that needs to be repaired.
Mr. James Charles Wright agrees with this answer
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