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Help! I Was in an Accident in Someone Else’s Car!

By Jason Bottlinger on October 27, 2017

Getting into a car wreck is already scary enough, but the questions and confusion that arise if you were in someone else’s car make it worse.

In Nebraska, coverage comes down, in large part, to the specifics of each person’s insurance policies. With that in mind, as long as you have insurance, the vehicle itself is insured, and the other driver and vehicle are insured, then everything should be handled pretty smoothly. (If you have any legal questions, feel free to speak to our Omaha car accident lawyer at (402) 505-8234.)

Insurance That Follows the Driver

In general, liability insurance policies follow the driver, so your car’s liability coverage will apply no matter what vehicle you are driving. There can certainly be exceptions to this, depending on your policy and what it stipulates, but it is not uncommon for your liability coverage to be used if you are driving a friend’s car and get into a collision. You will need to file a report with your insurance company, which means your rates may go up.

Insurance That Follows the Vehicle

On the other hand, comprehensive and collision vehicle insurance is connected to a particular vehicle, and follows it even if someone other than the owner is driving. You need permission from the owner to use the vehicle for this to apply, and some policies require that you be specifically indicated on the policy as a driver to be covered by it. In some cases, immediate family members are covered without specifying them by name. If comprehensive coverage is used after an accident, then the vehicle’s owner, who has the comprehensive policy, will need to file a report with his or her company and may also face a rise in rates.

What If the Other Driver Is at Fault?

If the other driver is solely at fault, then your insurance or the insurance of the vehicle’s owner might not come into play. The other driver’s insurance might cover the entire cost of damages, but this depends on the policies that each person has. As you can see, things can get complicated, so having an experienced Omaha auto accident attorney to help you through this situation can be very helpful, and ultimately save you money, obtain a full and fair recovery for your injuries, and protect your rights.

Call our team at Bottlinger Law L.L.C. after any crash at (402) 505-8234 to talk about what happened and learn about your options.

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Posted in: Car Accidents

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