Do you need a vacation car rental? Do you have the right coverage?
Would you be covered for a vacation car rental under you personal auto policy?… short answer… Yes.
Your personal automobile insurance will follow for personal vacation car rental (no buses, or commercial trucks, etc..)
Generally, if you have liability part 5 Optional Bodily Injury liability coverage and physical damage coverage (collision and comprehensive) coverage, the coverage will follow you to the car you are renting everywhere in the U.S and Canada. If you are in Mexico, overseas, or anywhere outside the U.S and Canada, you must purchase insurance coverage through the rental car company.
NOTE: Liability Part #1 only applies to accidents that occur in Massachusetts. In order to have bodily injury coverage outside of Massachusetts, you must purchase part 5 (Optional Bodily Injury) coverage. Parts 3 Uninsured and Part 12 Underinsured will follow also.
Rental Reimbursement coverage on your policy does not cover damage to or caused by rental cars. If you have this coverage part listed on your policy, you can only use it to rent a replacement vehicle if your personal vehicle is not useable due to a covered accident. This coverage does not afford coverage to a rental or damage caused while you are driving a rental car.
Reasons to purchase insurance coverage from the car rental agency:
- Loss of use coverage: The period of time that the damaged rental car is being repaired and not useable by the car rental company. Loss of use coverage is not covered under your automobile insurance policy.
Check with your credit card company. Some credit card providers offer free coverage if you use their card to pay for a car rental. Be sure to read/ask for an exact description of what is and what is not covered.
If you chose to purchase insurance from the rental company, check to see what is and what is not covered. If personal effects are not covered, they may be covered by your homeowners or renters insurance policy. The Damage waiver coverage may duplicate coverage you have on your policy. Supplemental liability coverage may provide more liability coverage than you carry on your policy. If you have adequate liability coverage on your car and an umbrella policy if you own a home and auto, you may want to forgo this coverage. Contact us to review your current coverage before making this decision.
For more information contact us at www.chaseins.com or by phone 413-788-4531