Expert: Anne - 1/22/2009

Question
Hi anne I recently made a big mistake and drove while drunk. I ended up hitting a parked car in there driveway. The car I was driving was my fathers and he is insured but im not on the insurance. will i be responsible to pay for the damages ive done out of pocket or will my dads insurance pay. The state is new york city.

Answer
Alex,

It depends. Were you driving this car with his permission? If you took the car without authorization (express or implied), then you might not be covered. In which case, you have to pay to the people you hit and to your dad.

Even if you took the car with permission, about 50% of the auto policies exclude coverage for drivers under the influence of alcohol. Some do not, but some do. The only thing you can do is read the policy to see if such exclusion exists. If it does, then you will be responsible for all damages to your dad's car and the cars you hit.

Good Luck
Anne.