To lend or not to lend your car

How often have you lent your car to a family member, friend or colleague without giving it a second thought? Perhaps it’s time you did.

Recently, I was consulted by “Lisa”; a very distraught woman who had lent her car to her daughter, Susan, so she could take her friends to the movies. Unfortunately, what Susan did not tell her mother was they were stopping at a bar afterwards. On the way home, Susan was involved in a motor vehicle accident. One of her passengers was seriously injured. Shortly afterwards, Lisa’s automobile insurer advised her that she was legally responsible for the passenger’s injuries. Lisa was shocked! While she consented to her daughter using the car to go to the movies, she did not consent to Susan using it to go out drinking.

Does lending your vehicle to a family member or friend make you liable if there’s an accident? Find out more.