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When renting a car for business or personal purposes one of the questions that
may come up is do you need rental car insurance. Auto insurance protects you from
unforeseen circumstances. When renting a car most car rental agencies will try
and sell you auto insurance coverage.
Auto insurance sold by car rental firms will include:
• Collision Damage Waiver or Loss Damage Waiver which will protect you
against damage or theft of rental car. The coverage is however void if you
drive under intoxication, have an accident due to speeding, or drive on
unpaved roads.
• Liability Insurance as required by the law of your state. This gives
excess liability coverage but will not suffice in case of a serious accident.
• Personal Accident Insurance covering you and the passengers for
medical and ambulance bills.
• Personal Effects Coverage that protects personal items from theft.
But before you buy any coverage you must consider:
a. If you rent cars very often then it will be cheaper for you to
purchase a non-owner insurance coverage that will protect you and your spouse
and will most probably include uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage,
personal injury protection or PIP, and medical coverage. However, you may need
to buy a collision damage waiver from the rental company to protect the rental
vehicle.
b. You need to check with your own auto insurance policy whether it
covers rental cars. More often than not the liability coverage limits that
exist on the auto insurance policy owned by you will be effective for rental
cars too. Just check with your policy whether it covers rental cars.
c. Many credit cards offer coverage. So check whether your card offers
this facility and what the specific terms and conditions are. Find out if you
need to be enrolled to get coverage.
d. The latest in car rentals is being responsible for damaged caused by
“acts of nature.” Ensure that you understand what each phrase in the car rental
contract means and always dig in your heels and demand a clear explanation for
any clauses you don’t understand. Check if your personal auto insurance policy
covers “acts of nature” for rental cars.
e. Auto insurance coverage for rental vehicles differs from company to
company so find out clearly who and what is covered by the auto insurance in
case of a rental car. Many policies may cover only you or you and your spouse.
f. If you are renting a car outside the US your auto insurance policy
may not cover loss and damage to the rented vehicle or liability injury. When
traveling abroad you may need additional coverage.
g. Find out before you rent a vehicle if the auto rental company includes
basic automobile liability and standard comprehensive insurance protection as
well as theft insurance as part of the service at no additional charge.
Before you decide on rental car insurance surf the World Wide Web and read
up on rental car advice as well as auto insurance needs written by experts
in the travel and insurance business. This will update you on the latest
requirements and introduce you to auto insurance necessities. This knowledge
will enable you to take the right decisions.
About Author
Barry Allen is a freelance writer for
Car Insurance , the premier
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