To keep other drivers in your household from wrecking your insurance rate, you can add an exclusion to your insurance policy. Here are a few things that many people may not know about insurance exclusions in Burlington, NC.
What is an exclusion?
An insurance exclusion is a document that specifically outlines drivers who are not permitted to use your vehicle for any reason. Driver exclusions will last as long as you have your policy unless you explicitly add that person to it. However, in the state of North Carolina, most of the time you cannot exclude your spouse from your policy. There are a few exceptions to this rule, so you may want to contact the helpful agents at Don Allred Insurance to determine whether you need insurance exclusions on your policy.
Why might a policy have an exclusion?
Suppose your college aged kid moves back home or you allow a roommate to move into your home. Maybe you share a household with your brother-in-law who has a terrible driving record. To keep your insurance rates from hitting the ceiling, you may want to add an exclusion to your policy.
What happens if you ignore an exclusion?
If a driver who is excluded on your policy drives your vehicle and has an accident, the wreck will not be covered under your normal insurance policy. The damages to your vehicle and other drivers’ vehicles as well as medical costs will be your responsibility to pay out of pocket. You should not allow excluded drivers to use your vehicle under any circumstances.
What happens if an excluded driver ignores the exclusion and uses the vehicle anyway?
To protect yourself, you should treat an excluded driver who uses your vehicle as if he or she stole your car. This will allow your insurance policy to pay for damages, but you will need to file a police report to prove that your vehicle was used without permission. The excluded driver will face charges for car theft in that case as well.
If you have questions about auto insurance exclusions, contact Don Allred Insurance, serving Burlington, NC, and the surrounding area.