Who is covered under my auto insurance in Chicago?

Jackie

Good question, Jackie.

It’s a subject that often comes up because most of the time the text of your auto insurance policy in Chicago isn’t all too clear. You might have to hassle a car insurance agent or read the policy several times to figure it out, but even then you cannot always be certain of who is covered under your auto insurance in Chicago.

First of all, let’s state the obvious. You are covered under your policy for auto insurance in Chicago, as are any other named drivers on your policy. It doesn’t matter who they are or where they live, if they are on your policy then they are covered under your auto insurance in Chicago.

Beyond that, there are a couple of more groups of people who are also covered under your auto insurance in Chicago. The first group is members of your household. This does not mean, as it seems, anybody who lives in your house and drives your car. It has the more specific meaning of being anyone who lives in your house and is related to you by marriage, adoption, or blood. So that means your spouse, child, stepchild, grandmother, and so on, so long as they live with you.

The second not so obvious group of people that are covered under your policy for auto insurance in Chicago are your friends and other relatives. However, there is a clause attached to this. They are only covered by your policy for auto insurance in Chicago if they

• have your permission to drive your car, or
• have reason to believe that you would give them permission to do so.

The trouble on that second part is that it is often very difficult to prove that your friend or relative had no reason to believe that you would have allowed them to drive your car.

Now, while these groups are covered under your auto insurance in Chicago, you have to remember that insurance follows the car, not the driver. They are only covered under your policy so long as they are driving one of the vehicles listed on the policy.

Cheers,

Fashun Guadarrama.

My wife recently got charged of DWI. Can I get my own car insurance, so her DWI will not affect my insurance rate in Chicago IL?

Ben

Chicago, IL

An insurance carrier will typically want all household members listed on an auto insurance policy. If you do not want your wife’s DWI violation to affect your car insurance rate you will need to find an insurance company that will exclude her, otherwise you will both need to be on the same insurance policy under most insurance carrier’s guidelines.

To check if your insurance carrier in Chicago IL can provide you with the insurance coverage that you need, you may contact them directly.