Letting friend borrow car for 2 weeks

[golfgal]

Sure, bad stuff can happen. If you trust your best friend to take proper care of your car, then don't worry about it. It's not the end of the world if an accident happens.

IF your friend has an accident - THEN - your insurance rates COULD go up IF he was at fault for the accident.

You COULD get sued - IF your friend causes an accident and the other person is seriously hurt AND there is not enough insurance to cover the injuries and you HAVE something worth suing for. 99.9999999% insurance will cover it all. People have their own insurance for under or uninsured people in most states.

An awful lot needs to go wrong for you to be negatively affected by this. On the flip side, you are doing something nice for your best friend. Seems to me the choice is obvious.

Go on vacation and relax.

So how long would this person be a good friend if they ruined your financial future-just not worth the risk of losing your security or the friendship.

 

[Free4Life11]

Thanks for the info and responses, I'll check with my insurance company and see what they say.

 

[Art 1]

Thanks for the info and responses, I'll check with my insurance company and see what they say.

It doesn't matter what they say, you would be taking a huge chance to let them borrow your car.

 

[We_Love_Disney]

So how long would this person be a good friend if they ruined your financial future-just not worth the risk of losing your security or the friendship.

I highly doubt that my financial future is in jeopardy because I lent someone my car.

What kind of accident do you honestly think the friend could cause that would ruin someone financially? Even in the worst case scenario, there is insurance. That is what we carry it for. To cover ourselves and others in case of an accident.

Even in catastrophic accidents, it is highly highly unlikely that the personal assets of the owners of the vehicles would ever be attached. Courts are not inclined to do that, regardless of the injuries. It just doesn't happen. People carry their own insurance to cover themselves if the other party does not have enough coverage.

However, not letting your friend use the car because maybe somehow somewhere an accident may or may not happen and you may or may not be negatively affected is just plain selfish. And with friends like that who needs enemies. A friend trusts each other and does nice things for the other.

 

[aprilgail2]

I've swapped cars with friends a few times, let neighbors borrow my car to go to the food store when theirs was in the shop...never thought twice and still won't think twice if someone asks!
My friend was taking her kid son to college and only had a small car- I let her take mine since I have a van and they could fit all their things in there-- 10 hour drive each way...I used her small car while she was using mine. Before the van I had a small car- we were driving to Florida from NY so my friend swapped with me, she used my car and I took her new Ford Explorer on my vacation. I can't live my life with "what if's"....

 

[dis-happy]

I highly doubt that my financial future is in jeopardy because I lent someone my car.

What kind of accident do you honestly think the friend could cause that would ruin someone financially? Even in the worst case scenario, there is insurance. That is what we carry it for. To cover ourselves and others in case of an accident.

Even in catastrophic accidents, it is highly highly unlikely that the personal assets of the owners of the vehicles would ever be attached. Courts are not inclined to do that, regardless of the injuries. It just doesn't happen. People carry their own insurance to cover themselves if the other party does not have enough coverage.

However, not letting your friend use the car because maybe somehow somewhere an accident may or may not happen and you may or may not be negatively affected is just plain selfish. And with friends like that who needs enemies. A friend trusts each other and does nice things for the other.

It happens. When I was in high school a friend of mine had an accident while driving the family car. It was her fault and the other party had a permanent injury as a result. In addition to the insurance payments they also personally sued her family and her parents were forced to sell their home and give the proceeds as part of the judgment.

For this reason we carry a million dollar umbrella policy. And we NEVER loan out our cars to anyone. We have too much to lose.

A couple of years ago I was almost seated on a jury where someone was being personally sued for their personal assets after a car accident. It still happens today, even with insurance.

 

[DizBelle]

I highly doubt that my financial future is in jeopardy because I lent someone my car.

What kind of accident do you honestly think the friend could cause that would ruin someone financially? Even in the worst case scenario, there is insurance. That is what we carry it for. To cover ourselves and others in case of an accident.

Even in catastrophic accidents, it is highly highly unlikely that the personal assets of the owners of the vehicles would ever be attached. Courts are not inclined to do that, regardless of the injuries. It just doesn't happen. People carry their own insurance to cover themselves if the other party does not have enough coverage.

However, not letting your friend use the car because maybe somehow somewhere an accident may or may not happen and you may or may not be negatively affected is just plain selfish. And with friends like that who needs enemies. A friend trusts each other and does nice things for the other.

Asking a friend to do something that could really cause them trouble is even more selfish.

 

[golfgal]

I highly doubt that my financial future is in jeopardy because I lent someone my car.

What kind of accident do you honestly think the friend could cause that would ruin someone financially? Even in the worst case scenario, there is insurance. That is what we carry it for. To cover ourselves and others in case of an accident.

Even in catastrophic accidents, it is highly highly unlikely that the personal assets of the owners of the vehicles would ever be attached. Courts are not inclined to do that, regardless of the injuries. It just doesn't happen. People carry their own insurance to cover themselves if the other party does not have enough coverage.

However, not letting your friend use the car because maybe somehow somewhere an accident may or may not happen and you may or may not be negatively affected is just plain selfish. And with friends like that who needs enemies. A friend trusts each other and does nice things for the other.

It happens ALL THE TIME. It is very common to have assets seized or wages garnished for paying off an accident settlement. A couple years ago a girl in a neighboring town had 6 of her friends in their minivan and rolled the van. They had "enough" insurance or so they though. Their insurance didn't even cover one day in the hospital for these girls. The medical bills were in the millions. This family lost their home and most of their assets to cover these. They will never recover financially.

The owner of the car's insurance WOULD be the one to pay out and SHE would be the one that could face being dropped, getting sued or at the very least having her rates jacked up.

Most people do not carry anywhere near enough insurance to cover any type of injury accident. A week in the ICU and you are looking at over a million dollars just in medical bills never mind replacing damaged vehicles or anything else damaged in an accident.

How much insurance do YOU carry?

 

[Free4Life11]

golfgal -- why didn't the passengers health insurance cover their medical expenses? That seems strange to me.

 

[golfgal]

golfgal -- why didn't the passengers health insurance cover their medical expenses? That seems strange to me.

Because it was a car accident and the car insurance would be primary. Once that runs out then the health insurance would kick in but even then, with the medical bills and the max on health coverage, that rant out too. One girl was in the hospital for over 6 months and many months of rehab after that. So now this girl is out of medical insurance, family facing ENORMOUS medical bills due to no fault of their own, then the family of the girl that caused the accident is out of insurance coverage has nothing less, where do they turn now???

Also, there are a lot of people running around with state minimums, which in our state means they have $30,000 to cover medical bills and $10,000 to pay for damage to a car-that sure doesn't go very far.

It just is NOT worth the risk.

 

[Imzadi]

I had a former friend who had an amazing lack of boundaries. She didn't have a car. Since I had a car, she just assumed I should let her borrow it. She got all huffy each time she asked and I wouldn't. I told her it's MY only car and she might get into an accident, and I'D be the one out of a car. ( I knew she didn't have money to pay for any damages.

She thought I was being paranoid. She finally got her ex-husband to let her drive his car one weekend so she & her boyfriend could go away upstate, near Rhinebeck, (where Chelsea Clinton got married.)

It's a two hour ride by car to Rhinebeck. There are basically only 2 roads to get there, and nearly impossible by bus or train.

Well, you guessed it, she let her boyfriend drive, he was stoned out of his mind. Turned out, he was a drug addict, which she was in denial about. He smashed up the car - his fault, - in such away that they had to tow & leave the car at a mechanic in Rhinebeck. It was undrivable. So they couldn't drive it back to the city.

Guess WHO had to take a bus, then a cab TWICE, to go to the mechanics to authorize the repairs, pay for the car and then go pick it up to drive two hours back to the city? Guess who had to be inconvenienced and take off of work to do that? NOT my friend. NOR her druggie boyfriend. He had gotten tickets & his license suspended

The ex-husband had to, since it was HIS car. And if he wanted it back, HE had to do all the work to get it repaired & brought back home.

My friend tried so hard to keep the info from me. But, another friend told me. After that incident, my friend kept her yap shut about ever asking to borrow my car.

 

[We_Love_Disney]

If you carry one million in coverage then you are spending way too much money for nothing. You will be the first target of every lawyer the claimants have. Deep pockets.

I worked for years in auto liability dealing with many states handling catastrophic accidents. Unless there is gross negligence on behalf of the operator then attaching assets is so far fetched. Besides, the operator of the vehicle would come before the owner.

I am not going to hide inside my home just because something might happen. And I am certainly not going to be a bad friend and not let them use my car just on the chance that something may go wrong. I will take the chance the my friend will drive as carefully as I do, if not more so. Should an accident occur then we can deal with the matter.

Why take the risk of driving down the street at any time? You may not have enough insurance.

Do you let your friend borrow your diamond necklace for her wedding? It may get lost or stolen.

I would rather take a chance and live my life to the fullest than surround myself with high walls and let no one in or out. But that is just me. Friends bring sunshine that walls block out.

 

[golfgal]

If you carry one million in coverage then you are spending way too much money for nothing. You will be the first target of every lawyer the claimants have. Deep pockets.

I worked for years in auto liability dealing with many states handling catastrophic accidents. Unless there is gross negligence on behalf of the operator then attaching assets is so far fetched. Besides, the operator of the vehicle would come before the owner.

I am not going to hide inside my home just because something might happen. And I am certainly not going to be a bad friend and not let them use my car just on the chance that something may go wrong. I will take the chance the my friend will drive as carefully as I do, if not more so. Should an accident occur then we can deal with the matter.

Why take the risk of driving down the street at any time? You may not have enough insurance.

Do you let your friend borrow your diamond necklace for her wedding? It may get lost or stolen.

I would rather take a chance and live my life to the fullest than surround myself with high walls and let no one in or out. But that is just me. Friends bring sunshine that walls block out.

Interesting given your posts on the topic. . Maybe laws are different in your state but here they very well can garnish wages, have access to funds in retirement accounts, etc. and it DOES happen but on a more simple basis, if there is an accident and a claim is filed the owner of the car is the one that is going to have to deal with jacked up insurance rates, not the driver of the car.

A diamond necklace is a finite cost and loss. Losing it may be an emotional loss and you are out what you paid for the necklace but it isn't something that can hurt you down the road.

I am not hiding in my house in fear of anything but I won't let anyone borrow my car nor will I borrow anyone else's car. That doesn't stop me from living my life in any way shape or form. There are these new places with names like Hertz, Enterprise, etc. where you can rent a car quite easily if you need to.

 

[We_Love_Disney]

"Interesting given your posts on the topic" What does that mean?

 

[robinb]

I'm going on vacation in August and was planning on having my best friend drive me to the airport (2 hours away) and letting him keep & use my car while I'm gone as he doesn't have a car.

Is this a bad idea? Do I need to let the insurance know or anything like that? What if he gets pulled over, should I write a note saying he has my permission to drive my car?

FYI -- I have full coverage auto insurance.

Thanks!

I did this once. My friend totaled my car while we were in Hawaii. She called to tell me on 4/1 ... I thought she was kidding. She paid my deductible and my insurance took care of everything for us and the other car. ETA: My insurance premiums did not go up over the accident (thank goodness!).

We don't lend our car out anymore except under very, very rare circumstances.

 

[dakcp2001]

OP- just out of random curiosity, how old are you and how old is your friend? How is your friends driving record? WHY does your friend not have a car? I have some friends I would lend my car to in a heartbeat, and others I would NEVER. Depends on their level of responsibility and how well I know them.

 

[golfgal]

"Interesting given your posts on the topic" What does that mean?

It means that I don't know ANYONE that works with insurance claims that would have this viewpoint-just lend your car to anyone, no big deal. It is just odd.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

Exactly how I feel about the situation.

What makes me feel even more uneasy is that your friend does not even have his own vehicle. Why not? That is so atypical from this area. Everyone, & I mean everyone has his/her own car.

Uh... what does that mean? Does not having a car make a person untrustworthy or irresponsible?

In this area a ton of people don't have cars, they either walk or bike by choice, not because they couldn't afford it or whatever reason but just because they don't need to.

 

[We_Love_Disney]

It means that I don't know ANYONE that works with insurance claims that would have this viewpoint-just lend your car to anyone, no big deal. It is just odd.

Firstly, how many people do you know that work in claims?
Secondly all the people I worked with over the years freely exchanged cars, why? We knew/know that we are covered and the chances of our personal assets being attached were slim to none. That is the benefit of being informed from working at it, rather than hearing tales and listening to an agent that is making a % of your premium.

 

[We_Love_Disney]

I did this once. My friend totaled my car while we were in Hawaii. She called to tell me on 4/1 ... I thought she was kidding. She paid my deductible and my insurance took care of everything for us and the other car. ETA: My insurance premiums did not go up over the accident (thank goodness!).

We don't lend our car out anymore except under very, very rare circumstances.

Just curious.....why won't you lend the car out? You were made whole as it were, no increase in insurance, deductible was paid, insurance paid the claims. Isn't that why you have insurance? Did your friend intend to total the car? Or wasn't it an ..... accident?