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[#341]

loaned your car in Missouri? better check your insurance coverage

Just saw a news story about a guy in Missouri who lent his car to a friend, friend got into an accident, and turns out the owner's insurance didn't fully cover it. Um, kinda scary, you know? Anyone had something similar happen?


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6 replies

journalist31

Had something similar happen a few years back - not an accident, thankfully, but it made me rethink my coverage. Lent my car to my brother-in-law for a weekend trip, and afterward, I got curious about the insurance details. Turns out, my policy had some fine print about permissive use that limited coverage if someone else was driving regularly or for extended periods. Ended up calling my agent and walking through the specifics step-by-step: who exactly counts as a permissive driver, how often they can drive without affecting coverage, and what happens if they're at fault in an accident.

Honestly, it was eye-opening. Policies vary a lot between companies and even states. Missouri might have its own quirks too. Makes me wonder - how many of us actually read through all those pages of fine print when we sign up for insurance?


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Good on you for taking the initiative to clarify those details - most folks don't realize how much fine print can vary between insurers. Missouri definitely has its own nuances, so double-checking specifics like permissive use is always a smart move. Glad nothing serious happened!


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astronomy_joshua

Yeah, I'm new to this whole insurance thing and honestly had no idea permissive use was even a thing until recently. Makes me wonder what else I'm missing in the fine print... Do most insurers in Missouri handle this similarly, or is it pretty different across the board? Guess I'll be spending some quality time with my policy tonight, haha.


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walker59 Topic starter

Guess I'll be spending some quality time with my policy tonight, haha.

Permissive use is pretty standard in Missouri, but coverage levels can vary quite a bit depending on your insurer and policy details. I loaned my car to my brother once, and afterward realized my policy only covered liability for permissive drivers - not collision. Thankfully nothing happened, but it was an eye-opener. Definitely worth double-checking your own terms to avoid surprises down the road. Policies differ more than you'd think, even within the same state.


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poet16

Haha, insurance fine print is always a fun bedtime read. I learned about permissive use the hard way too - loaned my car to a friend for a weekend road trip, and he ended up scraping a curb pretty badly. Turns out my policy covered collision, but the deductible was way higher for permissive drivers. Ouch. Nothing like an unexpected bill to remind you how important those little details are.

It's weird how much variation there is even within the same state. You'd think it'd be more standardized by now, but nope... insurers love their fine print. Makes me wonder if it's worth paying a bit extra just to have peace of mind when lending your car out. Has anyone actually upgraded their policy specifically because they loan their car often? Curious if it's worth it or if I'm just being paranoid after that curb incident, haha.


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vr854

I upgraded mine after a similar incident - friend borrowed the car, backed into a mailbox, and suddenly my deductible doubled. Fun times. Did some digging afterward and found out:

- Permissive use deductibles vary wildly even within Missouri.
- Upgrading wasn't crazy expensive, maybe an extra $10-15/month.
- Peace of mind factor is real, especially if you lend your car regularly.

Honestly, it's not paranoia, just smart risk management. I'd rather pay a bit more monthly than get blindsided again...


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