I get what you’re saying, but I’ve heard stories where someone thought “permissive use” had them covered, then the insurer pushed back because it wasn’t “occasional” enough. Has anyone actually had a claim denied for this? Or is it just insurance scare tactics?
I’ve heard stories where someone thought “permissive use” had them covered, then the insurer pushed back because it wasn’t “occasional” enough.
This actually does happen, but it’s not super common. Usually, if your friend borrows your car once in a blue moon, you’re fine. The trouble starts if they’re driving it every week or using it like their own—then the insurer might say, “Hey, this isn’t occasional anymore.” I’ve seen claims get messy when someone basically has a second driver but never told their insurance. Did your friend drive your car just once, or was it more like a regular thing? That’s really where the line gets blurry.
I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I’ve seen insurers get picky even when it’s not that frequent. “Occasional” is such a vague term—what’s occasional to you might look regular to an adjuster, especially if there’s a claim on the line. I’ve had clients who thought once a month was fine, but their carrier disagreed. If you’re even a little unsure, adding the person is just safer, even if it feels like overkill. The hassle of a denied claim isn’t worth it.
That’s a good point about “occasional” being open to interpretation. I remember this one case where a guy let his cousin borrow his car every few weeks for grocery runs, nothing wild. No issues for almost a year, then—bam—minor fender bender. The carrier started digging through text messages and calendars trying to figure out if it was really “occasional” or more like a pattern. It got messy fast and the claim took ages to sort out.
But sometimes I wonder, where’s the line? Like, is there an actual number of times that tips the scale from “permissive use” to “should’ve added them”? Or does it just depend on the adjuster’s mood that day? Curious if anyone’s ever gotten a straight answer from their insurer on what counts as “too frequent.” It always feels like a gray area to me, honestly.
Honestly, I’ve tried to get a straight answer from my insurer about this and it’s always super vague—like “it depends on the circumstances.” Not helpful. My rule of thumb is: if someone’s borrowing your car more than once a month, just add them. It might cost a bit more, but it’s way less hassle than arguing with an adjuster later. Plus, if you’re splitting road trip gas money, you can split the insurance bump too... silver lining?
