Had something similar happen a while back when my sister borrowed my Civic. Thought I was covered, but turns out the insurer had some weird clause about "regular use" that I totally missed. Did you end up having to pay out of pocket, or did your insurer eventually step in? Mine eventually did, but only after a ton of back-and-forth calls... lesson learned, I guess.
Had a similar thing happen when I lent my Corolla to a buddy for a weekend road trip. He got rear-ended at a stoplight—totally not his fault—but the insurance still tried to dodge it, citing some clause I never even knew existed. Took weeks of arguing back and forth, sending pics, statements, you name it. Eventually they caved, but man, it was exhausting. Makes me skeptical about how much coverage we really have... guess it's always smart to double-check those sneaky fine-print details.
Yeah, that's definitely a tough spot to be in. Glad you eventually got it sorted, even if it was a headache. Insurance companies can be notoriously tricky with those hidden clauses—I've learned the hard way myself. A few years back, I had a minor fender-bender (totally my fault, unfortunately), and I found out afterward that my deductible was way higher than I'd remembered. Ever since then, I've made it a habit to review my policy carefully every renewal period. It's tedious, sure, but it's saved me from a couple of potential surprises. Honestly, your experience just reinforces my cautious approach—better safe than sorry when it comes to insurance fine print.
Did your friend end up chipping in for any of the extra costs, or did you have to eat it all yourself? Lending cars always sounds simple until something goes sideways... learned that one myself.
Had a similar situation recently, and it definitely taught me to double-check my insurance coverage before lending out my car. If your friend isn't listed as an occasional driver on your policy, things can get complicated fast. In my case, my friend did offer to cover the deductible, which helped ease the financial burden. I'd recommend clarifying these details upfront next time—insurance companies can be pretty strict about who's covered, and it's better to avoid surprises.
