Pretend for a minute that you are at a friend’s house. The friend has a car, but no insurance. You do not have your car with you. You have insurance. You borrow the friend’s car to run an errand, and you get in an accident. Are you covered?
Maybe. Most auto insurance policies provide coverage for “your covered auto.” This is generally defined as:
- Any vehicle shown in your declarations;
- A newly acquired auto;
- A trailer you own; and
- A temporary substitute vehicle.
The friend’s car would be a temporary substitute vehicle. Therefore, it would probably be covered. But, be careful. Some auto policies do not provide coverage for substitute vehicles. That is why your rental car may not be covered.
You MUST read your policy carefully to determine if you have coverage when driving a friend’s vehicle.