Car insurance can be a confusing and often misunderstood product. At Hennessey, Thames and Leavitt we are here to help. Our agency has been serving the Vicksburg community with their insurance needs for 120 years. We have built up a wealth of knowledge and understanding with car insurance principles and philosophies that is second to none. We get asked a lot of tough questions, so let’s jump into one that is constantly asked.
Our auto insurance specialists are often asked, who does my car insurance policy cover? The answer is simple but it is important that you, the owner of the policy, understand how your car insurance policy works. If you have a car insurance policy with Hennessey, Thames and Leavitt, you would have discussed a drivers list with your agent. In this list you specifically name who is an insured driver on your policy. Those other drivers are then “rated” based on their age and driving history. Any driver that is specifically listed on your car insurance policy is a covered driver on all of the vehicles listed on your policy. Meaning that any listed driver can drive any listed vehicle.
What happens if your neighbor or friend asks to borrow your car? A couple of things, do you trust this individual to treat your property as they would treat their own and do they have car insurance? If you trust them and believe they have car insurance it is OK to let them drive your car. However, this person can not be regularly furnished this vehicle. If they have access to the vehicle whenever they want, you should add them as a regular use driver. Your car insurance coverage will be primary—meaning you are responsible for this driver’s actions. The borrower’s car insurance would be secondary—meaning if your policy didn’t have high enough limits, the borrower’s policy would pick up the slack. This can get very hairy so it is important to make sure all regular use drivers are listed on your policy. If someone takes your car without permission, your car insurance company could deny the claim leaving you to pay for damages out of your own pocket.
Most insurance companies want all of the household members of driving age to be listed as drivers on a car insurance policy. This prevents any gaps in coverage as a household member probably has regular access to your vehicles. Hennessey, Thames and Leavitt Insurance Agency is always available to answer your car insurance questions. An educated customer is better able to make decisions on who can borrow their car or not. If you have any car insurance related question or if you would like a quote on your car insurance call our office today. We can be reached Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4:45 pm at 601-636-5560. Stop by our office at 1001 Belmont Street Vicksburg, MS 39180. Check us out 24/7 online at www.leavitt.com/Vicksburg.
