Auto Insurance Industry Encourages Drunk Driving...

Actually the auto insurance industry promotes the use of taxis or having drunks sleep over. If you drive them home in their vehicle and then have someone pick you up; you have just left a drunk unattended with the keys to their own vehicle and you have no way of knowing what they are going to do. That is why, if you are going to drive your friend home, you take them in YOUR car: and, the next day, you take your drunk friend back to pick up their own car when they have had a chance to sober up.

Well, I guess the way around this is to remove the keys from all of your guests upon their arrival, while they are sober. At this point, they have the ability to give consent. Our laws are screwed up, that is the problem with too many lawyers. And always remember - no good deed goes unpunished.

The insurance industry is kind of a dirty racket. What other legal business sells you a product or service they hope not to ever provide? Yeah, I know plenty of people have been saved from financial ruin when their insurance provider comes through, but many others have been left out in the cold because of some legal technicality that allows the provider not to pay for the client's loss.

Since I don't drive I never knew this about car insurance. I think the best thing to do would have people sign a statement before they start drinking giving friends permission to drive their vehicle. You have to learn to be a step ahead of people like insurance companies.

well couldn't you argue that he told you ahead of time that if he was too drunk that you can drive or you can say you drove the car there with him and you are driving him back. There must be something more to the argument...

Hmmm...well that's...dumb! What if the friend was planning on getting drunk, and therefore, asked you to come along and be their designated driver, before hand? Are you not covered in a case like that as well? Just curious.

I have a problem with this, and I can't quit put my finger on it yet. AS you know I work in an insurance agency, and I'm really baffled as to where your agent is getting his information from. Was this case involving a private attorney for the insured? Or was it subrrogated between the two companies? I had a situation like this with one of my policyholders. She was too drunk to drive and gave her keys to her boyfriend. He proceeded to drink knowing full well he'd have to drive home. He became intoxicated and got in an accident on the way home, he hit a parked car on the street. Although our insured was negligent in giving her keys to him, we paid the claim, then went after his insurance company to recoup the loss since he was physically the driver. I guess maybe the difference in this case is that she gave consent. Every company does things differently. But what it boils down to is whoever is physically driving is also responsible for having insurance if they are going to be driving. Yeah, you were doing the drunk a favor by driving them home, but it's called an accident for a reason. I'm sure an attorney could successfully argue that had the person not been drinking to begin with the sober person wouldn't have had to drive. There are a lot of fine lines, and I'm the first one to admit I have issues sometimes with insurance practices, but I really don't think drunk driving is encouraged. I also wanted to address the poster that made the remark about insurance being an industry where you pay for a service and the company hopes you never have to use it. Of course they hope you never have to use it, but on the other hand if you are ever in the situation where you need it I'll bet your grateful it's there.