Answers to Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, and Car Accident Questions
Q: My son just got his license and is driving one of our family cars. But I haven't listed him on our policy. Will he be covered if he's involved in an accident?
A: Your car insurance policy is a contract and the answer to your question will be found in the language of the contract. Unfortunately, insurance contracts are usually full of legalese and jargon and are very confusing, even to lawyers.
The first step would be to read the car insurance policy. If you have any questions, call your insurance agent for help.
Generally, in California, an unlisted minor child (meaning any child under 18) will be covered under a parent's auto insurance policy when the parent entrusts an insured car to the child. However, that coverage may be limited to $15,000 of coverage by law if the child is determined not to be insured under the parent's policy. Additional insurance coverage may be available, but only if the child is determined to be an "additional insured" under the policy.
An exception would apply, though, if your son is specifically excluded under the policy. This would happen if you either told your insurance company that you did not want to insure your son or the insurance company specifically excluded him from coverage on its own when you bought the policy. The other exception would be if the insurance company deemed your son to be an "undisclosed" household member and declined coverage.
The best route, and the safest route, is to contact your insurance carrier and ask them to add your son to your policy. That way you will make sure that your son is covered under your car insurance policy.
