When a family member borrows a car, the expectation is simple: they’ll treat it with the same care they treat their own. But that trust can evaporate in a second—especially when alcohol becomes part of the story. And when the person who caused the wreck shrugs and insists, “Insurance will handle it”, the emotional fallout becomes almost as heavy as the financial one. The real questions begin right after the tow truck pulls away: Will auto insurance pay for a drunk-driving crash in someone else’s car? Is the owner on the hook for damages? Understanding how each part of the process actually works helps make sense of what follows.