Insurance premiums are not cheap. But while there may be several ways to save money on your car insurance, you should really think twice about one of them… Excluding drivers.
“Excluded drivers” are individuals you specifically exclude from being insured under your policy. If these individuals get in a wreck while driving your car, they will NOT be covered and your insurance company will deny coverage. This may lead to personal liability for them (and you) in the event of a car accident that they cause in your vehicle. This also means that those excluded individuals won’t be able to take advantage of helpful coverages such as UM, med-pay, collision, and rental insurance under the policy.
Excluded drivers also do not qualify under Louisiana’s “no pay no play” rule, which requires victims of car accidents to have insurance in order to take advantage of the “at-fault” insured’s coverage.
So, Why Would People Exclude Drivers On Their Policies To Begin With?
It is typically done when extended family (ie. aunts, uncles, cousins) reside under the same roof but the named insured does not want to be responsible for paying higher premiums based on so many people living in the household. To the insurance company, the more people who live together, the higher the possibility of them sharing vehicles. By excluding certain people, the insurance company is insured that they are not responsible if that driver gets into a wreck.
Here is the problem. While saving money sounds good, it is inevitable that at some point, one of those “excluded” drivers will have to borrow the insured car. You can guess what happens next… yep, an accident occurs and they are NOT insured. Not a good situation for anyone.
Our advice: If you are considering excluding a driver under your policy to save money, think long and hard about whether there is a chance that person could someday borrow one of your vehicles. If that is a possibility, don’t take the chance of excluding them.
Have You Been Injured In An Accident Casued By An "Excluded" Driver?
Have you been injured in an accident caused by an "excluded" driver and want an experienced law firm contact us online or call our Covington office directly at 985.590.6182 to schedule your free consultation today. Flattmann Law serves clients on the Northshore, including Covington, Mandeville, Abita Springs, Bogalusa, Franklinton, Folsom, Hammond, Lacombe, Pearl River, and Slidell.