Passed the car to a friend, and he was in an accident: the specialist explained who compensates for damage in an accident on another car

Transferring a car to a relative or acquaintance is common, but in the event of a traffic accident, the owner of the car may be in an extremely vulnerable position. What to do if another person committed an accident, said the lawyer of the Minsk Regional Bar Association Zakhar Ladutko on the air of the RTR-Belarus TV channel, writes sb.by.

According to the law, the damage caused by the source of increased danger (which is the vehicle) is obliged to compensate its legal owner. However, there are exceptions, notes Zakhar Ladutko:

- The first case is an irresistible force: if an accident is committed as a result of an uncontrolled skid due to ice. Further - deliberate actions of the victim when he ran on the roadway and hit him. The third case is illegal actions of other persons who took possession of the vehicle. An example of this is stealing your car.

In the absence of the above exceptions, the owner of the car will have to compensate for the harm caused to the life and health of the victims, the lost earnings of the injured person, additional costs, for example, treatment, prosthetics.

- It is also necessary to remember that it will be necessary to compensate for moral damage caused to individuals, the lawyer continued. It is reimbursed exclusively to owners of a source of increased danger. The amount of moral harm is determined in court, based on the principle of reasonableness and justice, as well as those moral and physical sufferings that a person has received. If as a result of a road traffic accident, property damage is caused to an individual, he also has the right to demand compensation for this property damage.

In order not to be financially responsible for other people’s mistakes on the road, a simple transfer of keys from hand to hand is not suitable. The specialist recommends making the transfer of the car documented:

• draw up a notarized power of attorney for the right to own and use the vehicle;

• conclude an official car rental agreement or issue a free use agreement.

In this case, the damage caused in the event of an accident will be recovered directly from the culprit of the accident, and not from the owner.

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