It’s important to read all of the details in your car insurance policy as soon as you receive it. One key area to look at is who has coverage on your policy. Also, notice any excluded driver. This is a person who should not be behind the wheel of your car. If they are there, your auto insurance may not apply. If you're a policy-holder in Western Massachusetts, here’s what you need to know about the excluded driver.
This Person Should Not Drive Your Car
Legally, your auto insurance company cannot tell you how to use your car. However, it can tell you when insurance coverage applies and when it does not. If a person’s name is on the policy as an exclusion, that individual does not have coverage under your plan. If he or she drives your car, causes an accident, and suffers injuries, you may be financially responsible for the costs in total. It is important to speak to your insurer about this type of claim if it occurs. It could mean putting your vehicle at risk if you allow this person to operate it.
Why Do Exclusions Occur?
Most of the time, the policyholder knows about the exclusion and why the insurer names this individual. For example, you may have a teen driver in your home. Perhaps he has a few driving violations. That individual may be an exclusion for your car. By doing this, the insurance costs for the policy are significantly less. If that person lives in your home, he or she has the ability to drive the vehicle. That increases the amount of risk to the insurance company.
The most common reason for an exclusion is risk. Insurers recognize someone living in your home or with other access to the vehicle that is a high risk. By adding an exclusion, the insurer limits the amount of risk they hold in situations like this.
What to Do About It
If you do not want an exclusion to exist, as your auto insurance company to rewrite the policy. You can also get a quote for car insurance from another provider who will not exclude that driver. In other cases, it may be more cost-effective for the high-risk driver to have his or her own policy. This can reduce your costs.
Speak to your auto insurance agent about exclusions. Find out when that driver can be a part of your policy down the road.