How do I prove the owner of a vehicle is responsible for a car accident if he was not driving the car?

When you are in a car accident, you will often find that the driver of the vehicle that caused the accident was not the owner. The question that may come up is how do you prove that the driver had permission to drive the car. If the driver was driving the vehicle without the owner’s consent, there may not be insurance coverage for your claim.

However, in Massachusetts, evidence that at the time of the car accident the vehicle was registered in the name of the defendant as owner shall be prima facie evidence that it was by and under the control of the person for whose conduct the owner was legally responsible. If the owner denies responsibility, he must prove that he was not responsible. (M.G.L. c. 231, 85A)