Test Drive Accident: who is responsible for the crash?
Most people prefer to test drive a vehicle before making the final purchase decision. Test drives allow the person to check if the vehicle is as per their requirements and whether they can handle it. A majority of vehicle dealers allow prospective buyers to try on the vehicle. During such test drives, accidents can cause either damage to the car, harm the driver, or both. Since the vehicle belongs to the dealer, who should be responsible for the damage. There is no straightforward answer to this question. There are various factors taken into consideration when determining the liability. Moreover, multiple states have different laws to assess the penalty in such cases. If you are in a similar situation, it’s advised to seek help from personal injury attorneys Virginia Beach.
How to determine the liability in a test drive accident?
If you meet with an accident during a test drive due to no fault of yours, the dealer can’t hold you accountable for the damage. However, if the accident is your fault, the dealer can recover the losses from your insurance company.
The latter option largely depends upon your insurance policy and whether it covers the cost of damage to a vehicle while test driving. The dealer can recover the cost of damage from your insurance company depending upon the coverage it offers you.
On the other hand, if your insurance policy doesn’t cover you for driving any other vehicle than your own, you will have to pay for the damage caused to the vehicle while test driving. Even if you are not going for a test drive, it’s in your best interest to regularly review your insurance policy and check coverage.
How dealers safeguard themselves from the liability for test drive accidents?
While accidents are unpredictable and can’t be avoided, one must be prepared for such unfortunate event. Vehicle dealers take various measures to prevent test drive accidents and ensure maximum coverage of the damage.
Many dealers have specialized insurance policies for their vehicles. Besides this, vehicle dealers can refuse test drives to people if they don’t fall into … Read more
