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can we be sued if our 18 yr old has an auto accident

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SandyC_01

Guest
Pennsylvania
My husband and I bought our 18 yr old daughter her own car and her own insurance policy. We were told by our insurance agent ( state farm ) That this would Protect "our" assets in the event she has a auto accident . Today i heard that because she still lives with us that we can still be sued even thought she has her own ins policy. She has liability 50,000/100,000/50,000... Is it true that since she still lives home with us that in the event she has auto accident they can come after us even thought she has her own policy and shes 18?
thanks,
[email protected]
 


ALawyer

Senior Member
While as a parent you should have no responsibility (at least in most states -- I am NOT a PA lawyer) for the actions of your adult children, even if they lived with you. HOWEVER, IF the title to the car was in YOUR name, rather than hers, you may have responsibility as the car's owner. IF she was doing an errand for you, you may be liable as she could be deemed your agent. IF you gave her or permitted her to consume alcohol prior to the accident, you could be liable. the car and had reason to
 
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SandyC_01

Guest
thanks for responding...the car is....

Pennsylvania
Thanks for responding to my question, We put the car in our daughters name and then got her her own insurance policy, We are paying almost 90 dollars a month on a 1989 chevy cavalier and thats just liability ins....If the car was in our name and she was on our policy the insurance per month would be 42 dollars a month, But i think it is well worth the extra moneyper month to have her own policy and car. If she did have an accident and they went after our home we would all 3 homeless. ... Thank you again for answering my question:)
[email protected]
 

I AM ALWAYS LIABLE

Senior Member
Re: thanks for responding...the car is....

SandyC_01 said:
Pennsylvania
Thanks for responding to my question, We put the car in our daughters name and then got her her own insurance policy, We are paying almost 90 dollars a month on a 1989 chevy cavalier and thats just liability ins....If the car was in our name and she was on our policy the insurance per month would be 42 dollars a month, But i think it is well worth the extra moneyper month to have her own policy and car. If she did have an accident and they went after our home we would all 3 homeless. ... Thank you again for answering my question:)
[email protected]

My response:

You said - -

"She has liability 50,000/100,000/50,000."

Word to the wise - - that's not near enough coverage.

IAAL
 
S

SandyC_01

Guest
amount of coverage....

Pennsylvania
I know...My husband and i have 3 times that amount of coverage. Our Insurance agent said that was enough coverage for her age , He said that the premium would be thru the roof if we rasied the amount of coverage on her all because of her age. She is a very good driver and has never had an accident or ticket of any kind. He told us that her premium would go down a bit when she turns 19 but not much, ...When shes 24 it will drop a good deal. I just hate that she is being punished dollarwise because of her age. She has had her own insurance policy since she was 16 1/2 and i think she should be rewarded for a good driving record instead of being charged so much money for others having accidents when they were young.
Thanks so much for responding to my question :)
[email protected]
 
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I AM ALWAYS LIABLE

Senior Member
Re: amount of coverage....

SandyC_01 said:
Pennsylvania
I know...My husband and i have 3 times that amount of coverage. Our Insurance agent said that was enough coverage for her age , He said that the premium would be thru the roof if we rasied the amount of coverage on her all because of her age. She is a very good driver and has never had an accident or ticket of any kind. He told us that her premium would go down a bit when she turns 19 but not much, ...When shes 24 it will drop a good deal. I just hate that she is being punished dollarwise because of her age. She has had her own insurance policy since she was 16 1/2 and i think she should be rewarded for a good driving record instead of being charged so much money for others having accidents when they were young.
Thanks so much for responding to my question :)
[email protected]

My response:

Listen, my purpose is not to argue the point with you. However, you're making very little, and in my opinion, foolish sense. Let me explain.

You said - -

"She is a very good driver and has never had an accident or ticket of any kind."

Never had an accident? Never had a ticket? The reality, and the fact is, according to you, and using simple mathematics, she's only been driving for 1.5 years. Not a terrific amount of experience. She has no idea what to do in an emergency situation. She doesn't have the experience to know - - unless she's a student of the Bob Bondurant school of driving. Ergo, she's an accident waiting to happen - - from a statistical standpoint.

You further said - -

"Our Insurance agent said that was enough coverage for her age."

Coverage for her age? Either your agent is a complete idiot, or you misunderstood his actual statement to you. Please, tell me what "age" has to do with wiping out the entire Sanchez family in an intersection. Remember, Mr. Sanchez is the wage-earner of the family, grossing $140,000.00 per year, and a mortgage that would choke a horse. Your daughter kills Mr. Sanchez, and puts Mrs. Sanchez and the 3 children into ICU for 3 months.

What do you think $100,000.00 would do for the Sanchez family?

Nothing.

However, not only would the Sanchez family get the $100,000.00, but they would get a judgment against your daughter that would place her in her own little slice of hell for years, and years, and years, to come.

Not the type of monkey you would want on your daughter's back. Hopefully, and with your own imagination, you could come up with your own, and better, "worst case scenario" - - and none of them are very pretty. This is what insurance is for - - the "worst case scenario".

Oh, and here's something else for you to ponder while you're dialing your agent to get more insurance. The average accident occurs within a 5 mile radius of a driver's home, and a person's first accident occurs within 3 years of obtaining their license.

Statistically speaking, your daughter only has up to another 1.5 years left before she's involved in a lolapallooza of an accident. Remember, that's "up to" 1.5 years. Theoretically, it could happen tomorrow.

Have a nice evening.

IAAL
 
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bigun

Senior Member
I've been through this with 2 boys. Be thankful you're not insuring young males under the age of 25.

I did what you're doing. Car title in their name and an insurance policy that met the minimum required by state law. In the back of my mind, in the event of a true disaster and the kid had a huge judgement returned against him, I'd take him to a bk lawyer. In our case, trying to educate 2 kids without them taking out student loans, there were only so many dollars available and expensive auto insurance just wasn't in the budget. The oldest is out of college and has $100k/$300. The youngest is beginning his soph. year and is still carrying minimums.
 

tammy8

Senior Member
What is the real cost of upping the limits? In our state it is less than $5 a month for a step up in limits?
 

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