If someone used my motorcycle knowing that I didn’t have insurance on it and got into a wreck, what is there responsibility?
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If someone used my motorcycle knowing that I didn’t have insurance on it and got into a wreck, what is there responsibility?
They said that they would purchase the motorcycle from me for $3200 for wrecking it. When the police went to the hospital to talk to him, he said that he wasn’t driving it. A ticket was issued for not having insurance on the motorcycle but the field on the ticket that says who the ticket is being issued to was marked in as “unknown”. The total cost of the ticket, having the motorcycle towed, purchasing a “tow only” permit, and the amount of time that the motorcycle sat in the impound totaled out to be around $500.
Asked on July 17, 2015 under Accident Law, Louisiana
Answers:
S.L,. Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 9 years ago | Contributor
As the registered owner of the motorcycle, you are liable for the accident.
You can sue the driver of the motorcycle for negligence. Your damages (monetary compensation you are seeking in your lawsuit for negligence) would include the value of the motorcycle, the storage (impound) and towing fees including the tow permit.
Since you were the registered owner of the motorcycle, the driver is not liable for the ticket because the ticket was issued for not having insurance which is the responsibility of the owner.
The reason the ticket for not having insurance was issued to "unknown" was that the police officer issuing the ticket did not know the name of the registered owner.
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