Car insurance & teenage driver question - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

dannym · #1 06-05-2009, 02:31 PM

Here's the story.
My daughter is 16 and lives with her mother. She has her mothers address on her drivers license.
I want to lend her my Mercedes to drive for a while and I'm trying to figure out how to insure her.

According to Florida law as soon as she got her drivers license she was covered under her mothers insurance (her mothers insurance went up).

The ex is trying to tell me to leave all the insurance the way it is because in case of an accident her insurance would cover it anyway. Even if I insured her seperately.
She says that, if my daughter had an accident she borrowed the car and her insurance would cover the liability part & my insurance would cover the car.

Does this sound right? It kind of stinks like a rat to me.

I think she's getting her info from the fact that my daughter was in a car accident as a passenger and her insurance had to pay for it since my daughter is covered under her insurance.

Maybe she's right but I need to know fast!

Danny

Dee8go · #2 06-05-2009, 02:33 PM

Liability insurance, once you have it, covers YOU, whatever car you're driving. Collision insurance, which you have on your car, covers your car. I'm pretty sure that's the way it works.

MTI · #3 06-05-2009, 04:11 PM

How about you talk to your caveman, gecko, ditzy salesgirl with smokin' nametag, good neighbor, persons with great hands, who are on your side . . . and get the straight story for the laws in your state?

cmbdiesel · #4 06-05-2009, 04:19 PM

Definitely talk to your agent. If you carry collision, I believe you will need to list your daughter as a driver of the vehicle. Remember, the insurance company will weasel out of payment in any way they can, so make sure to dot the i's and cross the t's. With a 16 yo driver, you have a fairly good chance of needing the insurance.

tankdriver · #5 06-05-2009, 04:28 PM

Typically insurance follows the car. My dad has a fender bender driving my brother's car, and my brother's insurance covered the car my dad tagged.

G-Benz · #6 06-05-2009, 04:32 PM

Check your insurance contract for a "third-party" clause, that essentially covers damages to your car if someone other than a listed driver borrows the car and is involved in an accident...neighbor, friend, or daughter.

dynalow · #7 06-05-2009, 04:41 PM

State law prevails.

In NJ, I couldn't get my girls covered on my policy as teenagers, because they did not live in my home. They were covered under my policy to drive my car(s) as occasional permitted use drivers. They banged around a couple of cars pretty well.
My insurance company, not the ex-wife's, paid for all accident claims which happened when they were in my cars, both personal injury and physical (property) damage.

Boy, I'm glad those days are over. Nothin worse than the anxiety of a 2:00 am phone call.

Good luck Danny.

sunedog · #8 06-05-2009, 04:45 PM

I second talking to your agent. And then get his response in writing. If he won't email a brief written explanation to you, you write your interpretation of his explanation in an email to him and give him the opportunity to reply if you mistated something.

Of course, he may be able to refer you to a specific paragraph in your policy that clearly explains the situation and you wouldn't need the email documentation.

dannym · #9 06-06-2009, 10:38 AM

The wife & I are going to talk to an insurance agent next week.
Apparently my daughter being on the ex's insurance as soon as she gets her drivers license doesn't mean she's insured.
If that makes any sense. Just another insurance scam.

Thanks for the replies.

Danny

t walgamuth · #10 06-06-2009, 01:12 PM

I believe that the insurance might cover her as a passenger in another car if that car is uninsured.

Probably you will want your car covered by your policy especially if you want collision.

Definately talk to your agent.

Your wife cannot insure what she does not own, IMHO.