Who Is an Insured Under Washington Auto Insurance?

Identify the coverage before applying an insured definition

Start with the accident-date policy, the injured person’s relationship to the named insured, household residence, the occupied vehicle and permission to use it. Liability, UIM and PIP can protect different people. A person covered under one part of a policy is not automatically insured under every other part.

Washington’s PIP definition identifies several protected groups

For the statutory PIP framework, RCW 48.22.005(5) includes the named insured and specified resident household relatives, wards, foster children and stepchildren. It also includes a person injured while occupying or using the insured automobile with permission, or a pedestrian accidentally struck by that automobile. The section defines the insured automobile by the declarations and separately defines the named insured and occupying. Establish these facts and confirm that PIP coverage applies.

Do not turn a financial-responsibility definition into a universal policy rule

RCW 46.29.490 addresses an owner’s or operator’s policy certified as proof of financial responsibility for the future. Its owner-policy provision addresses express or implied permissive use. Read that statutory scope before treating it as the complete insured-status rule for an ordinary policy.

Obtain the definitions, insuring agreements, exclusions and endorsements for each claimed coverage. Record the facts supporting insured status and the insurer’s exact reason for disputing it. Check controlling cases and later statutory changes for contested household, occupancy, permission or vehicle-use issues.