It happens all the time – someone asks to borrow your car and you toss the keys across without a second thought. A friendly, helpful gesture! And a perfectly safe thing to do, you might think.

But few of us are aware of the responsibility and liability that go with having someone else behind the wheel in our cars.

Of course it’s legal to lend your car in Ontario and in most parts of the world, but there are potential risks involved. The lender may not be aware of the borrower’s driving abilities and habits, their traffic record if any and whether they can be trusted not to undertake any illegal activities while using your car.

Brampton personal injury lawyers can help you understand the problems and challenges that you can face if someone has borrowed your vehicle and caused an accident through their fault or negligence.

What Are The Issues Involved?

• Lending your vehicle can be risky. As a vehicle owner, you are completely responsible for the damages and injuries sustained in an accident that involves your vehicle.

• Traffic offenses committed while driving a borrowed vehicle can go on the owner’s record.

• Owners must also ensure that the borrower has a valid driver’s license, since your insurance company may not entertain a claim made by injured parties in case of an accident.

• When we lend a vehicle we actually lend our insurance coverage too. Insurance “follows the driver” is a myth that many borrowers believe. However this is something that borrowers should take the trouble to understand – insurance follows the vehicle and not the driver. Hence, even if the borrower has the highest limits and top coverage, it’s the lender’s insurer who has to cover the damages caused by the borrower who drove your vehicle.

• Lending your vehicle also implies that we have lent our clean driving records that go with our insurance policies. Hence, there can be a number of issues that could tarnish this record and affect our premiums if the car is involved in an accident.

Protect Yourself As a Lender

• Be choosy about whom you lend your car to: Never lend to strangers, friends of friends, co-workers, etc whom you don’t personally know.

• Even if it’s someone who regularly borrows your car, like your spouse or your children, there are certain aspects that need to be kept in mind.

• Add regular borrowers to your insurance policy as occasional drivers: This helps to avoid a situation where your insurer can deny accident benefits claims.

• Make sure that the borrower has a valid driver’s license: This includes ensuring that it’s the right category of license too.

• Inform the borrower about the location of the vehicle’s registration and insurance documents.

• Discuss how, where and who will drive the vehicle: Both borrower and lender should be clear on these facts. Never allow the borrower to lend to a third person.

• Ensure that the vehicle is in good running condition and all aspects are functional.

• Verify that the vehicle will be used only for the purpose that it’s being borrowed for.

Brampton personal injury lawyers can provide the right advice and assistance in case of motor-vehicle collisions.