Q: In a car accident, can I provide my own insurance if the car owner was not insured? I unknowingly drove an uninsured car
I am an INSURED driver, but I borrowed a friend’s car for one day when my husband was using ours. I was not aware that my friends car was uninsured! I caused a fender bender and the officer asked me to provide insurance. After calling my friend, I learned he didn’t have any. Now I must appear in court because I didn’t show proof of his insurance, but could this court hearing have been avoided if I just showed them my own insurance at the scene?? Can I show mine in court? What’s the worst that could happen? (The lady I bumped went to the hospital with whiplash but there was no damage to her car). This was a first-time offense for me, and I would not have borrowed the car if I knew it wasn’t insured.
A: Read your own Insurance Policy. See if it insures you driving another's car. If it does, then make a Claim on your Policy and provide the same to the Prosecutor at Court. If not, be prepared to become financially responsible to protect your TNDL.
A:
You may be covered driving another's car - for instance if the vehicle is a temporary substitute vehicle for yours while it was not operable. Also if you have comprehensive coverage you may also have coverage for driving another's car. Your agent should be able to tell you - and you should be able to tell from your policy.
And yes if you have coverage then showing that you had insurance would be helpful in court.
In any event check with your insurer / insurance agent. And report this claim as well. Read your policy.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
