I am doing some work for a friend that owns his own business. I am 18, have no license or insurance. He has given a company car to my father for the two weeks that I am working for him, I have signed a work contract just stating the work I will be doing for him, but neither me or my father have signed anything for the company car. My Dad has just given his drivers license number.
Yesterday my friend took me out onto some private land and allowed me to drive it. It's a Mercedes C Class 220. 2013 plate. I reversed the car and hit some barbed wire that took the mirror off and deep scratched the side of the car. Am I liable for the damage, or will he be covered?
I have asked him straight up and he seems to be evading my questions, as I said I would work for free to cover the cost of the repair. But when reading on the internet I have seen some people suggest he should pay? Silly mistake, car is a right mess.
Mike
Update:I live in the United Kingdom, England
Answers & Comments
1. If the owner of the car allowed you to drive it on private land, he legally took responsibility for anything that happened. The fact that you have no licence is irrelevant, as you do not require a licence, or insurance, to drive on private land - only on public roads.
2. His insurance undoubtedly will not cover the cost of any damage - because he certainly invalidated it by allowing an uninsured, unqualified driver to take the wheel.
How you cover the cost of the damage is a private matter between you and him. If it went to court the law would probably say that by allowing you to drive he accepted the risk. However, if he is a friend, you may want to resolve this on a friendly basis.
Hold up, let's hit the rewind button for a minute. Did you say the owner of the vehicle gave you permission to drive? Why yes, yes you did. And it was on private property, meaning you did not need to hold a valid driver's licence.
You don't owe him anything. Not a cent. Or pence or copper, or whatever the hell a cent is in the UK, doesn't matter because you don't owe it to him.
When someone gives you permission to drive their vehicle, they're still responsible for the vehicle and any loss or damage it causes. That's not just my opinion, that's the opinion of the law. The owner (not the driver) is legally responsible for loss or damage any time they allow someone else to drive their vehicle. And if your friend didn't know that rule, he just found out the hard way.
This isn't your problem. Tell your friend you'll honour any and all of your legal responsibilities, but only those responsibilities that are legal. He'll have to prove in a court of law that you (not he) are legally responsible for the damage. And he won't be able to do that.
What is most amazing about this question is that, If, I understand this correctly, the friend who owns the vehicle, and also allowed you to drive, was also the passenger when this happened?
Poster Obi is correct. When you give permission for someone to use your vehicle, you are also giving permission to loan out any liability/fault.
If friend has collision coverage on his vehicle, then his insurance should pay to repair, subject to any deductible/excess he has.
Also, you was not on a road, but in a private lane, where having a driving license is not required.
Hello
If it was on private land he cannot claim on his insurance. Do not agree to saying it was ay where else.
And you were legal to drive as it was not on the Public Highway. You were in the Driving seat but he was sitting beside you to coach you, As such he is resposible for the repairs not you.
Andy C
He will not be covered for an unlicenced driver without permission to be damaging it without the Police being involved due to that driver being a car thief.
You broke it, its not yours, now face up to your responsibilities and pay for it in some way. Its a total no brainer to work that out, amazed you even need to ask.
The price you pay for a joy ride in a car you weren't supposed to drive, the boss won't cover stupidity! It would be different if you went to the store and got broadsided by a car with insurance, but you decided to hit the back 40 with the barbed wire and cow pies for fun.
Cars are insured NOT people, so assuming this business insured the vehicle the damage should be covered. It's the same as if you borrow a friends car and are in an accident. As long as they are insured, their insurance would cover the damage. The thing is, there's always a deductible - meaning, the insured person pays a portion of the damage. For example, your friend's deductible might be $500. That means that your friend/the business would pay the first $500 of what it costs to repair the car. He used poor judgement allowing an uninsured person to drive - and he definitely can't tell his insurance that bit of information. He's going to have to file the claim as if he was the driver. You could be a "nice guy" and offer to help with the deductible since you were driving - but he is partially at fault.
Good luck !
Regardless who owned the car, or who insured it, you drove a car with no license. You should be fully responsible for what you did. No matter how you look at it, the car didn't damage itself, you did. Man up...
depends entirely where u live.
here, u need to work for 'free to cover the
damages to the car. that is fair.
Pay a fine