name: Sherry
location: Southern CA
Email: sherz88@aol.com
Date: 10 Apr 2008

Comments

Rot! That may be an internal policy of the insurance company, but it's not a law. I'd just chalk it up to Standard Operating Procedure, which means you will have to jump through hoops several times before you can get them to do their jobs. Side-tracking saves them money. Now that I have that off my chest, go ask a professional...and let us know what you find out.

name: connie
location: CT
Email: connie716@nextel.blackberry. net
Date: 10 Apr 2008

Comments

I work for a elderly care giving agency. I drive people in my car and some in their own cars. All I needed was proof of insurance.

name: Carol
location: Mountain View, CA
Email: carol.wright@comcast.net
Date: 10 Apr 2008

Comments

I am sole caregiver for my elderly mother, and quickly took over driving her everywhere in her car. At one point, she offered to sign the car over to me, but I at that point could not afford to "keep a -- hers or my -- car," as I had no income. So my car rots in her driveway as I use her car. Eventually renewals and insurance issues came up, and I had a hard time getting anyone to insure ME as the driver when "I" was not the registered owner of her car. Additionally, if Mom had given me the car, the sisters would have said I talked her into it...and all that petty mess. I do not know about the "commercial license" aspect of this, and have never heard of it before. But as I inquired to the many insurance companies to get ME covered as the driver in MOM's car..surely caregivers all over have this sort of problem!...I finally found one company [Progressive] who said, "No problem. We'll put both of you on the account under the insurance, with your mother owning the car, with the stipulation that she never ever drive it. So actually you are the only one covered as the 'driver.' " DONE, all over the phone. It might have cost something extra to get this done, but not two full policies. For AAA, I did have to pay for two full towing memberships, and Mom carries her card in case someone else decides to ever help out and give her a ride somewhere, and they happen to get a flat. Hope this info gets you out of the bind. But again, not clear at all about the legal issues regarding commercial license.

name: Heather
location: Central Valley, CA
Email:
Date: 11 Apr 2008

Comments

Interesting. My suggestion would be to contact the caregiver's company, if he/she works for one, and ask them how they handle it. Or call some caregiving companies and ask them their policy on employees driving clients to doctor's appointments, to go shopping, etc. They've got to be up on that stuff. Both my sister and I drove my mom in her car when we were caring for her after her strokes.

Name: Carol
Location: California
Email: familyeldercare@juno.com
Date: 04/15/2008
Time: 09:24 AM

Comments

My father's insurance company said he needed a policy to cover chauffering, essential a commercial license and much more expensive. He ended up selling his car and those who drive him use their own. My mother's caregiver, who worked for an agency, used her own car to drive my mother around. Coverage under these circumstances may depend on the insurance company policy rather than the law. It's worth researching.