As a person with children, there are times when your job-related responsibilities and responsibilities as a parent clash. You’ll need help picking your child up from school and assistance with other things in case you can’t be there. Having a nanny eases this burden as they can drive your child to and from school, play dates, games, and other engagements. But if your nanny was in a car accident, who pays? When insurance questions are raised, it’s important to know who assumes responsibility in such a scenario.
First, make sure that the nanny knows what to do in a car accident and gathers the other driver’s information.
Whose car should be used?
If the nanny’s car is in good enough condition to transport your children, you can allow the use of that car. In that instance you should ask for copies of the nanny’s license and insurance, insisting that he or she is up to date.
However, it may be ideal for your nanny to use your vehicle when carrying out the daily responsibilities involving the kids. Your vehicle will be more readily equipped to drive your kids around concerning car seats and back seat airbags.
Who bears insurance responsibilities?
If your nanny uses your vehicle to drive your children around or run certain errands in, this can affect your car insurance policy’s standing. Most insurance companies will want anyone who regularly uses your vehicle to be added to your plan, so check out these second driver insurance rules to make sure the nanny is covered. These companies prioritize risk analysis and want to know all potential risk factors, preferring that all eligible drivers are protected.
If your nanny is full-time and uses your car on a regular basis, you should talk to your insurance company about adding another person to the policy. Some companies will name your nanny as a non-resident driver on the plan, meaning your nanny can be added even if they don’t live with you. You don’t need to add your nanny to the policy if they use your vehicle here and there as some insurance providers will consider that as permissive use. Whenever an accident takes place, even involving a permissive user, both policy holder’s coverage could be applied.
To get the most accurate insurance quote for your nanny, you’ll need their information and license number, which will be used to explore their driving history. It could be important to file a claim in case someone has a sore neck after a car accident, or any other kind of injury that isn’t immediately apparent.
Who pays if your nanny was in a car accident?
If your nanny was in a car accident, who pays will depend on the car that was driven. Since insurance companies focus more on the vehicle than the driver, the belief is that you would have to pay when an accident involving your car takes place. Whenever someone borrows your car and gets into an accident, your insurance would cover the claim because it’s your vehicle. However, the nanny’s personal policy could respond as well, especially in the event of injuries. Understand what you should expect with car accident insurance claims before filing anything.
Once your nanny is added to your car insurance, you both are protected if they get into an accident involving your car. If the crash is not the nanny’s fault and their name is listed as the insured driver, the insurance will cover any loss-related expenses.
However, if neither you nor your nanny has insurance, it’s a sticky situation for both parties as there is little clarity as to who should pay. Considering auto insurance is mandatory in Ontario, you should do all you can to avoid that scenario.
Make a checklist
You must make background checks on your nanny before giving them the okay to drive your children around. If the nanny has a shaky driving record, look into the circumstances behind them. The marks on their record could be caused by things that shouldn’t be considered major, but it’s wise to check either way: car accident reports can affect your insurance rates.
However, if the record has too many red flags on it, then you might want to reconsider because a concerning record will increase your premium even if you have a clean record.
You should also establish driving rules. Detail how often your nanny should drive for the week, whether they are just picking the kids up from school or running errands.
Now that you’re equipped with all this information, if your nanny was in a car accident, “who pays?” won’t be a question that you’ll need to be answered.
When it comes to Ontario auto insurance, aha insurance has you and your nanny covered. Get your quote now to see how it works with a nanny.
