I had a call this morning from someone who had lent her car out. The borrower either lent it out himself or someone he knew took it. Either way, it was in a wreck and now the responsible person will not pay for the property damage.
When it comes to lending your car out, it is important to remember that you are ultimately responsible for what happens while someone else is driving. Even if the person you have lent your vehicle out to has a valid driver’s license and insurance, there can still be unexpected consequences that could leave you liable.
For starters, when another person drives your car they may not follow the same safety protocols as yourself or abide by traffic laws. This could lead to an accident or other damages caused through negligence on their part. If this were to occur then any resulting legal issues would fall back onto yourself as the owner of record for said vehicle – even though someone else was in control at the time.
In addition, lending a vehicle also puts wear and tear on parts such as tires and brakes faster than normal use would do so – leaving more costly repairs needed down the road once returned to you. Furthermore, if something were stolen from inside then a claim might be made on your insurance!
Overall it's best practice not to lend one's car out unless necessary.
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