When you borrow someone else’s car to get around town because your vehicle is in the shop for maintenance, the last thing you expect is to become involved in an auto accident. You take extra precautions to ensure you follow every operating safety measure. However, you find yourself reeling physically and emotionally because the car your borrowed got involved in a head on collision.
Although you know you are not at fault, proving liability for cases when the driver operates someone else’s vehicle throws the proverbial wrench into the insurance claim filing process. How do you prove liability, and who is on the legal hook for paying the cost of treating injuries and repairing automobile damage?
Head on Collisions Can Cause Significant Damage
The amount of damage caused by a head on collision is a function of speed. The faster both cars traveled, the more serious the aftermath of a head on crash.
Both cars can end up totaled, which is an insurance company’s worst nightmare. However, head on crashes at slower speeds lead to minor damage, such as a smashed front grill and a busted radiator. Physical injuries also vary, from sustaining life threatening wounds to putting an ice pack over a bruised arm. Severe head on collisions can lead to at least one of the drivers suffering from emotional distress.
Proving Accident Liability When Driving Someone Else’s Car
Determining liability for a head on car crash when driving someone else’s vehicle depends on several factors. The first thing to do is read the car owners insurance policy.
Most insurers include a detailed section that describes liability when someone else drives the policyholder’s car. Some auto insurance coverage follows the driver, while other types of car insurance follows the owner of the car. State insurance laws come into play, as does permission. Another driver granted permission to drive someone else’s car typically forces the car owner’s insurance company to cover most, if not all of a claim.
Act with a Purpose after a Head on Crash
The first thing to do after a head on accident is to check your health and the health of everyone involved in the incident. If you incur serious injuries, you must immediately receive medical treatment. Minor injuries should allow you to follow a procedure that helps you collect plenty of evidence to submit to the owner’s insurance company. Calling the police is a good idea to help document the events that transpired before, during, and after the accident.
Law enforcement completes the official report of the accident, which you should use as a document submitted to the vehicle owner’s insurance company. Create an accurate account of what happened as well, as you can expect to answer several questions posed by an insurance adjuster.
Consult with a Liability Lawyer
A head on collision while driving someone else’s car introduces several unique legal elements that requires the services of a highly rated liability attorney. Your attorney brings years of negotiating experience to the table. When the time come to negotiate a settlement, having an experienced lawyer argue your claim can help you cover most, if not all of the costs associated with a head on accident.
Your lawyer can also negotiate with lien holders on your auto insurance claim that include health, disability, and/or workers’ compensation insurers.
Schedule a free initial consultation today with an experienced liability attorney to ensure you receive the most effective representation when the time come to submit your auto insurance claim.
