What to do if my auto insurer denies coverage?
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What to do if my auto insurer denies coverage?
My 17 year old son took one of my vehicles while I was out of town. He was involved in a multi-car
accident on the freeway but was not issued a citation. My son has a legal address/residence at his mother’s. We are divorced and both remarried. I believed that he was covered on his mother’s auto insurance policy and would allow him to drive the vehicle to work or school on occasion when needed, however not on this occasion as we were away. He was coming over to watch the dog while we were away for the weekend. Long story short, the insurer said as he used the vehicle on
occasion and was not listed on my policy, they are most likely going to deny coverage. Is this
correct?
Asked on March 27, 2019 under Accident Law, Michigan
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
It is most likely correct. When you fail to list a family member on a policy, if that member is predictably sometimes at your your house and has access to or use of your car--the way a 17-year son would be, especially when you say he could sue the car for school or work on occasion--then accidents involving that person are not covered. You are legally obligated to list all household or family members who may predictaby access or use your car on the policy, and a failure to do so excludes coverage for that person.
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