Car insurance when someone drives your car

Dear Driving for Dollars,
My adult son is visiting us and I'm letting him take my car for three days of vacation while he's here. He has a license but doesn't have a car or car insurance because he uses the subways for transportation. Am I liable if he's in a fender bender? Could I be dropped from coverage if he has a wreck?
-- Stephen

Dear Stephen,
You may or may not be covered, depending on your particular policy. If you have complete coverage, you may be covered, but it's also possible your policy will only allow for the minimum coverage limits in this situation instead of the full coverage you'd get if you were driving. Other auto insurance companies won't cover any driver who is not expressly named in your policy.

Read your policy carefully to see exactly what your policy covers and, if you are still unsure, call your insurance agent for clarification and get the answer in writing. If you are not covered, then you might be able to get a rider to cover your son from your insurance carrier. If not, your best bet is to have your son purchase a temporary auto insurance policy.

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