Does my car insurance cover other cars I drive? The standard auto insurance policy does not cover cars owned by the insured but not listed on the policy. An insured cannot insure one automobile, then own and regularly drive another car and have that other car covered by the policy. The standard car insurance policy in Wisconsin excludes coverage for automobiles owned not paid for on a policy of insurance. This is accomplished by an exclusion clause in the policies one does have or by how the policy defines a nonowned (insured) automobile. Coverage is provided for a temporary substitute automobile and newly acquired automobiles, and autos a person is just borrowing but not that they use on a regular basis. These are general guidelines and each policy must be examined in light of the law and facts. Wisconsin law allows an insurance company to limit coverage to automobiles insured in a household, and the exceptions noted above. National Farmers Union Prop. & Cas. Co. v. Maca, 26 Wis. 2d 399 , 132 N.W.2d 517 (1965). The drive-other-car-exclusion is discussed in Agnew v. American Family Mutual Insurance Co., 150 Wis. 2d 341, 441 N.W.2d 222 (1989), and Schwochert v. American Family Mutual Insurance Co., 139 Wis. 2d 335 , 407 N.W.2d 525 (1987).
The issue of whether an automobile is excluded from insurance coverage because it is by definition a nonowned automobile, comes down to whether (1) the automobile is owned by or furnished for regular use of the owner insured, (2) is the person using it is a resident of the same household, and (3) is it a temporary substitute automobile to fit in a covered exception.
The drive-other-car exclusion can be applicable in uninsured and underinsured motorist situations. The accident date and policy language is very important.
Anyone involved in a car crash understandably needs insurance coverage to help with medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, not to mention property damage. It is very helpful for persons using a car on a regular basis to make sure they have it insured for their own protection and that of their family members. Insurance can be expensive, but the cost of not having automobile insurance can be catastrophic. As a general rule, a person should have insurance on the cars they drive.
McCormick Law Office attorneys in Milwaukee, Wisconsin help injured passengers and drivers determine insurance coverage questions. Car insurance coverage is very fact sensitive. It is imperative the attorney get the full and truthful facts from his or client in the first instance and then follow up with material witnesses.
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