When a driver is hurt in a crash while borrowing someone’s car in Nevada, liability for injuries depends on who is at fault for the accident, the vehicle owner’s insurance policy, whether the borrower is a regular driver of the automobile, and whether the person was conducting business when the collision occurs. Although insurance usually follows the motor vehicle in Nevada, Las Vegas car accident attorneys often recommend that drivers verify coverage before getting behind the wheel of a vehicle owned by someone else.
Nevada Auto Insurance Coverage
Vehicle owners in Nevada must carry liability insurance coverage with mandatory minimums of $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $20,000 per accident in property damage. Additionally, owners may opt to obtain voluntary coverages including collision, comprehensive, uninsured and underinsured motorist, and medical payments (Medpay). Liability insurance generally covers injuries caused by named drivers on the policy and those caused by people with permission to drive the car. There are exceptions, however.
Purpose and Duration of Use
The applicability of a vehicle owner’s insurance coverage in a crash involving a driver other than those named in the liability policy may depend on the purpose of borrowing the car and for how long the driver used the vehicle. Liability policies often cover permissive drivers who are not named for rare or occasional uses. However, such policies may not provide coverage if people borrow cars for extended periods or if they frequently and regularly use the vehicle. For example, a policy may cover a vehicle owner’s friend who drives him or her home after a night out, but it may not cover that same friend if he or she borrows the car twice a week to go to school.
Use of a Car for Business Purposes
People who suffer injuries in motor vehicle accidents while borrowing someone else’s car to use for business purposes may find the vehicle owners’ personal insurance policies do not cover the resulting damages. In such situations, the borrowing drivers themselves may bear financial responsibility for the associated losses. If driving a company vehicle, however, the liability may shift to employers without an appropriate commercial auto insurance policy.
