I have only liability coverage. Should my insurance cover my passenger? Or am I responsible for their medical bills ?
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I have only liability coverage. Should my insurance cover my passenger? Or am I responsible for their medical bills ?
My insurance company is saying They’re not
gonna pay because liability only covers another
vehicle people in the other car but my vehicle
was the only one involved. Please explain what
will happen if the person in my vehicle sues my
insurance?
Asked on May 23, 2017 under Accident Law, Georgia
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 6 years ago | Contributor
An insurance policy is a contract: the insurer needs to provide coverage when and to whom the policy says. Review your policy: what does it say about passengers in your vehicle? That determines if they should cover.
The passenger can't sue your insurer: they are *your* insurer, not theirs, and the insurer has no legal obligation directly to the passenger. Their obligation under a liability policy is to defend you in court and pay any amounts you are ordered to pay, within the terms and limits of the policy. If the passenger believes he/she is entitled to compensation and that you were at-fault in the accident (liability for another's injuries depends on fault), he/she will sue *you*--your insurer should then defend, etc. you if the policy says that they should. If they won't, but you believe that under the terms of the policy they are supposed to, *you* could then sue your insurer for "breach of contract": for not honoring its contractual obligations. If you won that lawsuit, you could get them to pay any amounts you were found to have to pay, subject to the policy limit.
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