Car accident ethics
Brad and Toni borrowed Ted's car to go the shore on the 4th of July weekend. They ran out of gas on a busy highway and were rear ended by another car. The borrowed car was totalled. Brad and Toni were banged up but otherwise unhurt. Toni now gets physical therapy for her shoulder from the city at no cost.
Ted doesnt legally own the car. He bought it from somebody in another state and arranged to have that person pay the liability insurance. That person is now not unreachable. Ted is not legally allowed to own a car or drive in this state. He does however, use that car to transport his tools to get to his jobs as a handyman. Not having a car would be a hardship.
Brad and Toni were convinced by their friend Rita that they owed Ted some kind of compensation for his car since they assumed responsibility for the car when they borrowed it. It did not seem fair that Ted assumed all the loss.
Now the other drivers insurance company is going to pay Brad and Toni $2000 apiece because they suffered the accident. The insurance company will compensate the original owner of the vehicle, but Ted will get nothing unless the original owner gives him the money the insurance company gave him.
What, if any, obligation to Brad and Toni have to Ted at this point? And, what would be the ethical thing to do?
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Rita is Right
Brad and Toni should help Ted out here, if they want to be known as real friends as Rita seems to imply. And it sounds as if the injury Toni received will heal permanently after the physical therapy, so they wil not require any of the money for medical expenses. Brad and Toni are $4,000 richer as a result of their own negligence in failing to buy enough gas to get to the seashore for the holiday.
While Ted risks driving in a state that doesn't allow him to own a car or drive, for unstated reasons, Ted also appears to need a car to do his job. So, as friends who Ted helped out, Brad and Toni should help him in return, in this case to find a used car for his work. In effect, Brad and Toni would be buying the car and would own it, and would then loan it to Ted. This also assumes that Ted's driving record and his ability to remember getting gas is better than Brad and Toni's.
As Rita seems to be willing to ride herd on her friends, she should urge Ted to find ways to get in the good graces of the state so that he can legally own and drive a car there.
This is a case where the meaning of "if you break it, then you own it" seems to be relevant.