Who Is Liable If There Is A Car Accident In A Borrowed Car?
Car accident lawsuits are frequent in the context of personal injury, but they are not always simple. Each case has particular circumstances that may alter how the matter must be litigated.
Think about mishaps involving rented vehicles. You, the injured plaintiff, may have further legal recourse if the defendant-driver was using a loaned vehicle at the time of the collision and you are seeking damages. This might even be advantageous.
We at 11112222 urge you to speak with an experienced auto accident lawyer as soon as you can. Call us right away to speak with a lawyer in no more than 10 minutes.
suing the driver
You may have the right to file a lawsuit and seek damages from the driver whose carelessness (or deliberate wrongdoing) resulted in the collision. Even if they leased the car from someone else, this is probably the main defendant in your car accident case. Whether the motorist borrowed the car from someone else is irrelevant for the purposes of suing them for their wrongdoing.
Suing the owner of the vehicle
Nevertheless, in other situations, the car the defendant-driver is using is owned by a different person, who either gave them permission to use the car or did not. You may be entitled to sue the owner of the vehicle in some situations since they may be at least partially to blame for your injuries.
Imagine, for instance, that you suffer injuries in a car accident. You learn that the driver was under the influence of alcohol when the collision occurred. You look into the situation more and learn that the driver was an alcoholic and that the owner of the car was aware of this. Nevertheless, the car owner permitted the driver to use their vehicle.
We call this negligent entrustment.
A vehicle owner may be held accountable under the legal concept of negligent entrustment if they loan their car to someone they know—or should know—is ineligible to drive it, or is disproportionately likely to cause an accident. This might be a driver who is inebriated or does not currently possess a licence. Even lending to a driver with a history of collisions may fall under this category.
Additional than negligent entrustment, there may be other grounds on which you might hold a vehicle owner accountable. One of these grounds is negligent vehicle maintenance. Even if the accident occurs while the automobile is being driven by someone else, the owner of the vehicle who neglected to maintain it properly and allowed it to fall into disrepair may be held responsible for the accident.
When the driver does not have adequate insurance coverage, suing the owner of the car can be a huge advantage. You may be able to recover damages from the car owner if they have more insurance (to help cover your losses to some degree)
Various Liability Concerns
What happens if the car that belongs to the owner is stolen or used without authorization? You might not have many choices for suing them. The owner of the vehicle is not responsible for the driver’s negligence or misconduct if they did not genuinely give them authorization to use their vehicle.
If the motorist is underinsured in those circumstances, you might want to look into other legal options. You might be able to file a claim against the manufacturer if you can prove that the vehicle’s flaw caused the accident. Alternately, there might have been additional drivers at fault for the collision (i.e., a multi-car pileup). These might offer grounds for a lawsuit.
It’s crucial to seek advice from a qualified car accident lawyer for direction on how to proceed given the complexity of a vehicle accident case and how it may evolve over time.
Get a Free Consultation From a Car Accident Attorney
Whether or not the driver was using someone else’s automobile when the accident happened, you may be entitled to compensation under the law if you were hurt. These claims may result in significant settlements, but they may also be complicated by a number of issues.
We’re here to assist you in obtaining the just recompense.
At 11112222, we keep a network of knowledgeable auto accident attorneys ready to offer a no-obligation consultation. After reviewing your case, one of our employees will put you in touch with a lawyer who will help you through the courtroom proceedings.
Do not wait. Place a call to 11112222 to connect right now.