Should You Let YourCoworker Borrow Your Car?

californiaattorneyhelp.com

Imagine this: a good friend andcoworker approach you with a bigsmile on his face. You already have afeeling of what this could mean. Heclears his throat a little, and thenproceeds by telling you about thisimportant date and his car being atthe mechanic for the weekend.

You think for about a minute beforehanding him the keys. ‘Sure pal. Justbring it before Monday’. Bad move?Yes and no.

As a car owner, you’ve probably come acrossthe advice of NOT lending your car to mostpeople. While several have taken thissuggestion a bit too far (by refusing to lendtheir car even on emergencies), others are stillunaware of this common road rule. Yes, you’reclose friend will be borrowing your car. No bigdeal. However, have you thought about whatcould happen should something go wrong?Remember: it’s still your name on that vehicle.

Here areseveralreasonswhy youshouldn’tjust lendyour car:

• If your car gets into trouble, theauthorities would question you• In the event of an accident,

your insurance premium may goup

• In worse cases, your vehiclemay be written off due to

extreme damages• Your car could be used to

commit crimes

Let’s take Ryan Holle’s case as a good example. On March2003, Holle let his housemate and friend, William Allen Jr.,borrow his car. Unknown to him, they were going to drive toChristine Snyder’s house to steal drugs and money. Whenthe burglary became violent, Christine’s daughter wasbludgeoned on the head with a shotgun, which killed her.Holle on the other hand, was fast asleep a mile and a halfaway.

That didn’t get him off the hookthough. Holle was sentenced to first

degree murder with no chance ofparole. All that misery for just

lending his car.

Just because you were not driving your car doesn’t meanyou can’t be involved in the crime. The logic behind this isthe ‘no car, no consequences’ concept. In Holle’s example,that incident wouldn’t have happened if he didn’t lend hisvehicle. In the eyes of the law, you became an accomplice.

No Car, No Consequences

Think Twice

Don’t let that scenario scare you. It doesn’t mean that youshould never let someone borrow your car – but authorities,especially insurance agents and lawyers, want people toTHINK TWICE before lending their keys. Here are a coupleof things to consider the next time a friend or coworker asksto borrow your car:

• Does this person have proper driver’s license?• Does this person have a good driving record(you may obtain this information by askingaround – but be subtle!)?• Why does this person need your car?• For how long do they need the vehicle for?• Is the same person going to drive, or someoneelse?• Are there going to be other people in the car?Who and how many?• Will alcohol be involved (like going to parties,etc.)?• Where will the vehicle be driven?

Some people may feel awkward whenyou ask them these questions, but

assure them that you’re just concernedabout their safety (and you really are!).After all, you wouldn’t lend your car to

a drunk driver, right?

In the end, you’re not only protectingyour name and your property, you’realso protecting people from hurting

themselves in your car.

Now that you know that even non-drivers could be charged for a car

accident, would you still lend your car toyour coworker for the weekend?

californiaattorneyhelp.com