Here in Columbia, South Carolina, we have quite a few new and used car dealerships, such as CarMax, Jennings Motor Company, Galeana Chrysler Jeep KIA, Audi Columbia, US Auto Sales, Enterprise Car Sales, DriveTime Used Cars, and Stivers Hyundai. So, if you’re a local, it’s highly likely you’ll visit a car dealership at some point in your residency.
Whenever you’re in the market for a new car, it’s common practice to take one, or several cars out for a test drive. In fact, it’s extremely rare for someone to buy a car without test driving it before sitting down with a salesman to make a deal. But just because you’re on a test drive, it doesn’t mean you won’t get into an accident.
What if You Cause a Crash on a Test Drive?
Let’s say you’re on a test drive and while you’re behind the wheel of the dealer’s new car, you cause an accident with a parked car or another vehicle that’s on the road. Are you automatically off the hook since you don’t own the car? No, it doesn’t work that way.
You don’t own the dealer’s car and you’re not on the car’s insurance, but unfortunately those don’t change the fact that you’re responsible for the accident. As long as you damaged the parked or moving car, you can be held liable for the accident.
Even if the dealer failed to get a copy of your insurance card or driver license, they can still file a claim with your auto insurance company. If you’re not insured or if you’re underinsured, they can still file a lawsuit against you directly and you can be liable for all damages incurred, including the damage to the dealer’s vehicle and the other person’s car and any other damages that may have resulted from the crash.
Related: What Are Damages in a Personal Injury Case?
Contact our firm if you need to file a car accident claim in the Columbia, SC Area.