There is only one answer: YES!
All household members who drive your vehicles must be listed on your insurance policy. Insurance companies need accurate information about who has access to your vehicle to properly assess the risk of insuring it. If you fail to disclose a household member who regularly drives your car, your insurance company may consider it a material misrepresentation and may have the right to deny coverage.
It is your responsibility to be transparent with your insurance company about who has access to your vehicle to avoid any potential issues down the road. If you are still determining whether a household member should be listed on your policy, it is best to err on the side of caution and include them in your coverage. This ensures that your insurance policy is comprehensive and that you are fully covered in case of an accident. When you purchase an auto insurance policy, you must provide accurate information about all the drivers in your household. This includes anyone who has access to your vehicle and may need to drive it at some point, such as family members or roommates. Insurance companies want to know who has access to the vehicle in order to accurately assess the risk of insuring it.
Even if a household member has their own insurance, listing them on your auto policy is still required. Insurance companies want to know who has access to your vehicle and may drive it, regardless of whether they have their own insurance. Suppose the other driver’s insurance policy does not provide enough coverage. In that case, your own policy may kick in to cover the remaining costs, or both policies may deny the claim for nondisclosure of risk. This could significantly impact your financial situation, making listing all household drivers on your policy crucial.
LexisNexis is just one company that provides risk assessment services to insurance companies, including the creation of additional driver reports. Insurance companies obtain additional driver reports from LexisNexis to determine if there are potential additional drivers in a household. The reports include information about the driver’s license status, any accidents or violations, and any prior claims. Insurance companies use this report to add an undisclosed household driver to an existing policy and to set appropriate premiums for the policy. The policyholder then can prove to the insurance carrier this person lives outside their household and remove them from rating or sign a liability exclusion that will remove coverages for them on the policy.
Remember, your auto insurance policy is a contract of adhesion, which means that the insurance company’s terms and conditions are non-negotiable and predetermined. As a consumer, you have the option to accept or reject the policy. However, you or your insurance agent cannot modify the terms to suit your needs. Stating that you did not understand your insurance contract will not change the outcome of a claim denial.
MidOhio Insurance Solutions wants you to understand your insurance contract before a loss. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.
