If a person leaves there keys in the car and there car is taken by?

Question

a family member and they are involved in a wreck and someone else is injured who is liable the one driving or the one who left the keys in the car???

Answer 1

The driver of the car is liable for the operation of the vehicle at the time.  You have no recourse on the unauthorized use, since you left the keys in the ignition.  Your insurance will cover any collision damage if you bought the proper coverage.  However, if all you have is liability, you're out the repairs.  You'll have to get the money from the person who was at fault.  Of course, if the other party was at fault, you're entitled to repairs.  Your insurance should cover the injuries, up to a certain amount, depending on how much insurance you bought.

Answer 2

The person driving is the person responsible for the actions of the car. leaving the keys in the car does not implicate whoever left them there. The only one liable for the safe driving of any vehicle is the person driving it.  

Answer 3

If its an offense in your area to not secure your car, then you have committed an offense.  

Yet that has nothing to do with the second incident, the accident, that is the responsibility of the driver.  

As the first issues has not relationship to the second,  other than family tension what is the gain of even raising this. That is assuming the driver is a licensed driver and was not drunk,  etc.  If all is ok with the driver just make the insurance claim and show him as going to the shops to buy milk.

If you tell the insurance company he took it this may open up a path for them to claim against him similar to him stealing the car.  

Answer 4

wow... Talk about bad luck, whoever stole that car is pretty much ******, you could get in trouble for it also for not being responsible. Though we are all human so i can understand making a mistake.

If someone takes your car without your permission it's considered stealing/joy riding, personally from what i think the person wrecked that car not you and even though you left the keys it was him/her who hit them not you. I would take that up though with your insurance company though

Answer 5

well both get ther punishment in a way, but you won't get as much because he.she took the car with out any permission. actually you wodn't get any punishment.