Legal Question in Personal Injury in Wisconsin
Personal Liability
I have an 18 year old son living at home but will be attending college. I claim him as a dependent and he drives a vehichle registered to me. Question is: If he is involved in an accident am I liable for claims for injuries etc.? Would it be better to protect my assests if the vehichle was regestered in his name? Also any comments on adding an Umbrella liability policy?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Personal Liability
Wisconsin liability policies would consider a child
temporarily away at college as still living at home.
Such policies insure all family members living in
such home. Whether your policy limits are adequate
or not really go beyond a legal question. This
involves your decision as to how much risk you are
willing to take, what you've got to lose, and the
cost of the insurance. You should price umbrella
policies and determine whether you can afford such
coverage. Generally, people with assets to lose
will carry a minimum of 1-2 $million of coverage.
Re: Personal Liability
As a general rule, you would not have personal liability for any injury caused by the negligence of your adult son while driving the car. Your automobile liability insurance would apply to such a case. Buying an umbrella insurance policy might make sense, depending upon the limits of your liablility coverage and the extent of your personal assets. The premiums for such insurance are usually much less expensive than the premiums for the primary liability coverage.