what type of lawyer do i need if a borrowed vehicle was totaled in an accident in tulsa ok

by Dr. George Medhurst 8 min read

Reach Out to a Licensed Lawyer Today If you gave permission to someone to borrow your vehicle, and that person was involved in an accident, having a licensed attorney on your side could be beneficial. Call us today to schedule a no-cost evaluation of your claim and you will not have to pay lawyer fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf.

A personal injury attorney can help you determine how much your claim is actually worth and will negotiate aggressively on your behalf to secure the compensation you deserve for your injuries, pain, and suffering. They know car accident law.

Full Answer

What if someone borrowed my car and was in an accident?

Jan 15, 2019 · As long the owner of the car has coverage, generally speaking, it will follow the car in most situations. The owner’s car insurance is the primary coverage that would apply if a crash occurred. The driver’s insurance would act as secondary insurance if necessary. Keep in mind, insurance matters are typically covered by state law, so be sure ...

How does the insurance company pay for a totaled car?

Jul 13, 2021 · Step One: File a Police Report. Often, after an accident, one party will call the police to file an official report. Hopefully, this will have already occurred prior to your hearing about the crash. However, if a police report was not filed, then get this taken care of as soon as possible. You should also obtain a copy of the report when it ...

Who pays for the other driver’s damages in a car accident?

Car owners need to understand liability laws when they decide to loan out their vehicle to prepare for the possibility that the borrower could be involved in an unforeseen car accident. Owners will want to make sure they are adequately protected from liability in the event the person they lend their vehicle to causes an accident.

Who is liable if my car is damaged during a car accident?

If you were injured by a driver who borrowed a vehicle from someone else, the experienced Murfreesboro personal injury attorneys at Kidwell, South, Beasley & Haley can analyze the particular circumstances involved in your claim to determine all potentially liable parties. We bring more than 40 years of experience to the table and put this experience to use on your claim to …

Does an Insurance Policy Follow the Car or the Registered Driver?

Before covering what to do after a borrowed car accident, it is important to discuss your insurance policy. South Carolina requires all drivers to purchase minimum auto liability insurance coverage. This minimum requirement covers bodily injury, property damage, and uninsured motorist incidents.

What Should I Do if the Borrowed Car in an Accident Is Mine?

So, a member of your household or other permissive driver borrowed your car and got into an accident. What now? Of course, the first thing to do is check in with this person to make sure they are okay. Then, you should take the following steps:

Step One: File a Police Report

Often, after an accident, one party will call the police to file an official report. Hopefully, this will have already occurred prior to your hearing about the crash. However, if a police report was not filed, then get this taken care of as soon as possible. You should also obtain a copy of the report when it becomes available.

Step Two: Check-In With Your Insurance Company

Next, you will want to inform your auto insurance carrier of the accident. You should let them know that this was a borrowed car accident. With this information, they can review the terms of your policy to determine coverage. Since the crash involved your car, you will be responsible for filing a claim with your auto insurance company.

Step Three: Contact an Auto Accident Lawyer

Like any auto accident, a lot depends on proving fault in a borrowed car accident case. This is where seeking legal advice from a lawyer can help, whether you are pursuing or fighting a claim.

Have More Questions? Contact Our South Carolina Car Accident Lawyers to Learn More

Auto accidents are never pleasant. Unfortunately, dealing with an insurance company and the legal system afterwards can be equally as unpleasant. That is why our South Carolina car accident lawyers take on these extra burdens for our clients. If you would like to learn more about our services, then get in touch with us today.

Car Insurance In New Jersey

It’s a common misconception that car insurance is attached to the driver who owns the policy rather than the vehicle the policy covers. In contrast, insurance follows the vehicle that is insured regardless of who is in control of the car.

Liability Laws in New Jersey

New Jersey’s laws require drivers to carry personal injury protection insurance that will help go towards medical bills when someone is injured in an accident. This insurance can be used regardless of who is at fault, but this type of protection does follow the driver and not the car.

What to Do If You Lend Out Your Vehicle to Someone Who Causes an Accident?

There are a number of steps you need to take after you or a friend has been involved in a car accident in your vehicle that will help protect your rights.

Can a registered owner of a vehicle be held liable for an accident in Tennessee?

Under Tennessee law, the registered owner of a vehicle can be held liable if his or her vehicle is used. Proof of ownership of the vehicle that caused an accident provides a legal assumption that the vehicle was operated under the owner’s authority, knowledge and consent and that the vehicle was operated in a manner to benefit the owner. This concept can apply to vehicles that are used in a variety of situations, including:

What happens if you entrust a vehicle to someone?

If an owner of a vehicle entrusted a dangerous instrument (including a vehicle) to someone, the owner may be held liable for a resulting accident due to the legal principle known as “negligent entrustment.” The registered owner of a vehicle may be liable for an accident if he or she knew that the driver would potentially act in a negligent manner, such as when the owner knew the driver was not licensed, was an inexperienced driver, was not a responsible driver, was drunk or had a bad driving history.

What are some examples of negligent entrustment?

Some common examples of negligent entrustment could include: 1 You were aware that the borrower had a suspended license 2 You loaned your vehicle to someone who has a history of accidents and traffic violations 3 The driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs 4 The driver is under the legal driving age

Can you loan a car to a friend?

Car owners often loan their vehicles to friends or family members without thinking of who may be liable if that person gets into an accident. That is why it is important to know whether the person borrowing your car is a safe, responsible driver.

What happens if a car is ruined?

If their vehicle is completely ruined in a car accident, they will have to work with their insurance company to get their total loss claim processed. The process of getting compensated by an insurance company for a wrecked vehicle often involves the driver giving the insurance company some form of power of attorney.

Why do insurance companies ask for power of attorney?

Insurance companies ask for power of attorney in order to legally move the vehicle's title without having to get the owner's explicit permission each time the company needs to fill out a form, or so the company can sell the totaled vehicle to a salvage yard to compensate the driver.

Do you have to report an accident to your insurance company?

Additionally, the language in your insurance contract generally requires you to report any accident to your insurer, regardless of who is at fault. This also helps if the other insurance company is slow to take action on fixing your car.

Do you have to pay a collision deductible?

However, if your vehicle was damaged as well as theirs, then you will need to pay your colli sion deductible so that your car can get repaired. You'll get your deductible back if your insurance company collects from the other driver's insurance company. This process is called “ subrogation .”.

What is property damage?

Property damage is injury or harm to anything other than a person, basically. This could include a car, tree, home, fence or anything else you could think of. This could also include items inside of an automobile, like technical equipment or things you were carrying with you (e.g., textbooks, a laptop or a car seat for your child).

What to do if you let someone borrow your car?

If you plan on letting other people borrow your car, make sure your vehicle registration and proof of insurance are in the glove box before they hit the road. Also, make sure everyone involved has their own auto insurance, if at all possible. That way, you’ll be as fully covered as possible should an accident happen.

Can you borrow a car without permission?

In most states, a car's owner isn’t liable if they didn’t provide permission for the use of their vehicle. So, by borrowing the car without permission, you may be in big trouble. You’ve opened yourself up to liability, a lawsuit and a potential charge of being in possession of stolen property.

Does car insurance follow the driver?

A rule of thumb to remember in this situation is “car insurance follows the car, not the driver.”. It’s still a good idea to make sure whoever drives your car has their own insurance policy, though. Their coverage can help pay for damage caused by an at-fault accident, in certain circumstances. In this article, we answer some ...

Does car insurance cover collisions?

When an accident occurs, the vehicle whose driver was at fault for the crash is covered by its own car insurance policy. If the policy doesn’t include collision coverage, it won’t cover damages to the car. Also, the vehicle’s deductible will apply. The vehicle owner and the at-fault driver will need to decide who pays the deductible.

Does car insurance go up if you loan someone a car?

Your car insurance won’t go up if you loan your vehicle to someone and they get a ticket or citation. Traffic violations go directly onto the license of the driver, not the license of the car’s owner. If the person who borrows your car has insurance, though, the incident might affect their rates.

Do you need auto insurance if you don't own a car?

They weren't driving. However, since you don’t own a car, there’s no need for your own auto insurance because you have nothing to insure. However, if you plan to borrow other peoples’ cars often and those cars aren’t insured, talk to an insurance agent.

Can You Sue a Mechanic for Misdiagnosis?

A mechanic misdiagnosis, also known as a “faulty diagnosis” or simply as a “mistaken repair”, occurs when a mechanic does not identify the true problem.

What Does Mechanic Liability Insurance Pay For?

Mechanic liability insurance is a specific type of insurance policy that is meant to protect mechanics and auto repair shops from liabilities that may arise as a result of unexpected accidents like property damage to a vehicle, faulty repairs, or if a customer waiting to pick up their car gets injured in the repair shop.

Do I Need an Attorney for Help with Automobile Mechanic Liability Issues?

As is evident from the above discussion, when you leave your car at a repair shop, the mechanic working on your vehicle can be held liable for actions that fall below a certain level of care.

Liability For Accidents with Borrowed Vehicles - Texas Law

Did The Driver of The Car Have Permission to Use The Car?

  • First of all, there are three ways to give and receive permission for the use of another's vehicle: 1. Verbal permission 2. Written permission 3. Implied permission Verbal permission is pretty simple; Someone asks, "Hey can I borrow your car?" and the owner says, "Sure." Whatever form it takes, verbal permission just means that the owner said that ...
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What If The Car Owner Does Not Have Insurance?

  • When a car is borrowed, the car owner's insurance is liable for any damage that results from any accidents that the vehicle is used to cause. However, when the owner of the vehicle does not have any insurance on the vehicle, the driver's insurance instead will take responsibility for all damages except for the physical damage done to the owner's car. All of this assumes that the driver who …
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What Was The Intended Use of The Vehicle When The Accident Happened?

  • Normally, the use of the vehicle will not have any effect on who is responsible, especially if the use was for such matters as temporary vehicle replacement or a truck used to move residences. However, if the person is borrowing the car for the use of a business, such as delivering pizzas, moving furniture, or anything other commercial activity that requires a vehicle, liability will shift t…
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