International Driver’s License and Auto Insurance
Reader’s Question:
I’m from Tennessee. My friend from Italy borrowed and drove my car. He got involved in an accident which caused $1,200 damage to my car. When I submitted the claim, my agent asked for my friend’s international driver’s license. My friend is reluctant to give his driver’s license since he is worried that this will affect him in terms of denied auto insurance coverage in the future since he is planning to eventually work here. Would this really be the case?
Carl
Knoxville, TN
Before a foreign visitor can drive legally in the United States, he or she is required to get an International Driver’s License (IDP) from his or her home country before even setting foot in America. An IDP verifies that the foreigner has a valid driver’s license in his or her country of origin. This license then allows them to legally operate a motor vehicle on the public roads of the United States before they obtain their US license.
In your case, your auto insurance company in Tennessee may be demanding to see your friend’s international license to verify if he was legally permitted to drive in the United States. It is not probable that this claim will be attributed to him when he applies for a US driver’s license and car insurance coverage in the future. This particular claim is under your auto insurance policy, so his insurance rates in the future should not be affected.
It is unfortunate, though, that a claim this big will definitely mar your insurance record. This information will be used by auto insurance companies as a basis to raise your premiums. You may see an increase in your future auto insurance rates because of this particular claim even if the accident was your friend’s fault.
Tennessee Auto Insurance Company
Reader’s Question:
My wife has a poor driving record and I am wondering if I can do a named motorist exclusion from car policy in Tennessee?
Dan
Nashville-Davidson, TN
Insurance company guidelines differ but you should be able to find an insurance provider in Tennessee that will permit you to exclude your wife from your auto insurance policy if you wish to. When buying, choose the option to not include that motorist on the insurance policy and choose the appropriate exclusion options to get an accurate insurance rate.
Make sure that if you did exclude your wife then none of the coverages under your auto insurance would extend to her in any way if she was to operate the vehicle(s) listed on your insurance policy and cause an accident. So even in an emergency situation she should not operate your vehicles.
Whether family or household or named-driver exclusions are allowed in Tennessee has gone to the courts on various occasions. On the court cases I have read about the courts have found that these types of exclusions in auto liability insurance policies do not violate TN law or public policy.
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