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I am considering test driving two cars tomorrow, one owned by a private seller I found on the web, and the other on a car yard. If I am unlucky enough to clip a parked trailer, my own insurer (of my own vehicle) would cover me for the cost of repairing the damaged trailer. But my major insurer advised they would not pay for the repairs to the car in my care - the car I am to test drive.

If the owner of the damaged test driven car took me to court, would I be liable for the damage to the actual car that I was test driving itself that was in my care with their permission?

If you test drive a car at a car yard (dealer) they normally have insurance cover for this. It would depend on the circumstances of the accident if they covered the claim. If the damage is caused by negligence on your behalf then their insurance company is likely to claim against you. If the dealer do not have full insurance cover then it is best to go to a dealer that has insurance cover - their loss.

Buying privately has its risks and this is just one of them. The best thing to do is to have the seller contact their insurance company (if they have full insurance) beforehand to ensure you are covered for the test drive. If not the driver is ultimately responsible and if you do have an accident the seller will claim for the damages from you.

The driver of a vehicle is ultimately the responsible person but if another vehicle is involved and they are at fault (proven) the claim should go against them.