Definition and Examples of Additional Liability Insurance
How Additional Liability Insurance Works
What Does Additional Liability Insurance Cover?
What Doesn’t Additional Liability Insurance Cover?
Deciding Whether You Need Additional Coverage for Rental Cars
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Definition and Examples of Additional Liability Insurance
Additional liability insurance offers optional coverage that you can purchase from car rental offices, peer-to-peer ride-sharing services, and moving truck rental companies. This insurance provides extra financial protection for you and other authorized drivers against claims if you injure someone or damage their property while driving a rented vehicle.
How Additional Liability Insurance Works
To use additional liability insurance or extra liability coverage, you must opt in to the coverage when you first rent the vehicle for an additional daily fee. It’s optional coverage, and you can decline additional liability insurance if you wish.
The coverage helps protect your own insurance policy and financial assets from claims if you are found liable for an accident and the claim is less than the amount of the additional liability coverage.
What Does Additional Liability Insurance Cover?
Additional liability insurance or extra liability coverage is likely to cover the following up to the coverage limits:
- Claims from other drivers for injuries or death caused by you while driving the rented vehicle
- Claims for property damage you cause in your rented vehicle
- Damage caused by uninsured or underinsured drivers, depending on the state and the company
What Doesn’t Additional Liability Insurance Cover?
Additional liability insurance won’t cover everything. Costs likely not covered by additional liability insurance include:
- Bodily injury to you or your family members or household members
- Property damage to your rented vehicle
- Fines or other fees
- Damage incurred in Mexico
- Bodily or property damage occurring from using the vehicle in prohibited ways, such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Using the rented vehicle for commercial purposes
Deciding Whether You Need Additional Coverage for Rental Cars
Before accepting additional liability coverage, contact your insurance company and the rental or ride-sharing company to find out what is covered and what isn’t, and how rental car coverage works in your specific case. Additional liability insurance may be a suitable option if you:
- Have an existing auto insurance policy but the limits are low or don’t cover your rental
- Have assets like a house or savings that you need to protect from claims
- Have prior claims in your driving history that raise your insurance rates
- Don’t want a potential new claim on your driving record
- Want to participate in a car-sharing program and your insurance doesn’t cover such programs or rentals
Additional liability insurance may not be suitable if you:
- Already have personal auto insurance policies or umbrella policies covering your rental car
- Don’t care if there’s an expensive claim that affects your assets or insurance rates
- Find that the rental includes a high liability coverage amount
- Rent cars frequently such that increasing the limits on your policy might be more financially sensible, even in the event of a claim
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does your car insurance cover rental cars?
You can ask your insurance company whether your personal auto policy or umbrella policy extends liability coverage to rental cars. Inquire about limits and how your insurance works if you injure someone else or their property in an accident while driving a rented car. However, even if you have coverage, remember that any damages you cause to others will be a claim against your insurance policy and may affect your insurance rates.
What…
If you do not have personal car insurance?
If you are renting a car without personal car insurance, you may need to subscribe to the rental company’s liability policy if it is not automatically included.
Does your credit card offer rental car insurance?
Your credit card may provide coverage for rental cars, but in most cases, this coverage is very limited for damage to the rental vehicle due to collision or theft. The credit card company does not offer coverage for injuries you cause to others or their property.
How much does additional liability insurance cost?
According to one rental car company, the cost of additional liability insurance can range from $8 to $17 per day, depending on the location. Another company mentions that the cost is about $15 per day.
Should I purchase additional liability insurance when traveling?
Whether you need to purchase additional liability insurance or supplemental liability insurance depends on the countries you are renting in and traveling to. For example, those renting in the United States and hoping to cross the border into Mexico should ask about Mexico insurance; entering Mexico requires a policy that includes liability coverage for claims.
Takeaway points:
Supplemental liability insurance is optional coverage that can be purchased from a rental car office and peer-to-peer ridesharing programs. This insurance provides additional financial protection for you and other authorized drivers against claims if you injure someone or damage their property while driving the rental car.
Supplemental liability insurance works when you opt for the coverage when you first rent the car for an additional daily fee. It is optional coverage, and you can decline supplemental liability insurance if you wish.
Supplemental liability insurance or additional liability insurance is likely to cover the following claims up to the insurance limits: claims from other drivers regarding injuries or death you caused while driving the rental car, claims for property damage you caused in your rented vehicle, damage caused by uninsured or underinsured drivers, depending on the state and company.
Supplemental liability insurance will not cover everything. Costs that are likely not covered by supplemental liability insurance include: bodily injury to you or your family members, property damage to your rented car, fines or other fees, damage incurred in Mexico, property or bodily damage occurring due to using the vehicle in prohibited ways, such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, using the rental car for commercial purposes.
Before accepting supplemental liability insurance, contact your insurance company and the rental car or ridesharing company to find out what is covered and what is not covered and how rental car insurance works in your specific situation. Supplemental liability insurance may be a suitable option if you have an existing car insurance policy, but the limits are low or do not cover your rental, you have assets such as a home or savings that need protection from claims, you have previous claims on your vehicle history that raise your insurance rates, do not want a potential new claim on your vehicle record, want to participate in a car-sharing program and your insurance does not cover such programs or rentals.
Supplemental liability insurance may not be suitable if you already carry personal car insurance policies or umbrella policies that cover your rental car, do not mind having a costly claim that could affect your assets or insurance rates, find that the rental includes a high liability coverage amount, rent cars frequently such that increasing the limits on your policy makes more financial sense even in the event of a claim.
You can
Ask your insurance company whether your personal car coverage or solar insurance policy extends to liability coverage for rental cars. Inquire about the limits and how your insurance works if you injure someone else or damage their property in an accident while driving a rental car. However, even if you have coverage, remember that any damage you cause to others will be a claim against your insurance policy and may affect your insurance rates.
If you rent a car without personal auto insurance, you may need to opt for the rental company’s liability policy if it is not automatically included.
Your credit card may offer coverage for rental cars, but in most cases, this coverage is very limited for damages to the rental car from collision or theft. The credit card company does not provide coverage for injuries you cause to others or their property.
According to one rental car company, the cost of additional liability insurance can range from $8 to $17 per day, depending on the location. Another company mentions that the cost is about $15 a day.
Whether you need to purchase additional liability insurance or supplemental liability insurance depends on the countries you are renting in and traveling to. For example, those renting in the United States and hoping to cross the border into Mexico should inquire about Mexico insurance; entering Mexico requires an insurance policy that includes liability coverage for claims.
Supplemental liability insurance or additional liability insurance is optional coverage that helps protect you from large injury or property damage claims that occur when you drive a rental car, car-sharing vehicle, or transport vehicle. Supplemental liability insurance can cover amounts up to a million dollars or more in injury or property damage claims against you in a rental car. Supplemental liability insurance acts as primary insurance before your personal auto insurance policy comes into play to cover claims. Typically, supplemental liability insurance does not cover injuries to you or your family members or damage to your rental car. Read the terms of the supplemental liability insurance policy carefully, as policies can vary depending on service providers and states.
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Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/additional-liability-insurance-5268121
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