State laws differ but in some if your son still lives in your household and/or you claim him as a dependant on your taxes then you can be held liable for his actions. Since you have received conflicting information on what your state's liability laws are from insurance agents and lawyers or attorneys, you may want to get information from the state itself.
Your state's insurance regulatory body should be able to give you consumer advice concerning your situation of having your over 18 year old son that is a college student that is still residing at home and liability laws.
If you find that you could be held responsible or liable for the actions of your son if he is in an accident and the cost of repairs or injuries go over the limits of your son's car insurance policy, you may want to get an umbrella policy.
With an umbrella policy you list what items you want covered (i.e. home, boat, cars, motorcycle, etc) and then those listed items are underwritten and a rate is given for the premium to cover up to 1 or 2 million dollars in liability.
Some companies only offer umbrella policies if you insure both your home and car with them. We have partnered with Safeco to help you find the best rate for Umbrella insurance. Safeco's Personal Umbrella policies are competitively priced and offer exceptional coverage. You can receive coverage up to $2 million.
Umbrella policies are available to Safeco customers who insure their personal autos with Safeco. You may have to have certain liability limits in order to qualify for Umbrella insurance (availability is subject to state laws, compliance and underwriting).
The easiest way to save on Umbrella Insurance is to call 1-800-936-0356 and speak with our partners at Safeco Insurance