Does my auto insurance cover me in a rent car?

Question

I bought car insurance from AIG on-line; the policy does not state that I am or am not covered when renting a car. I live in Texas. The policy I have does note various 'endorsements' related to Texas. When I call the help desk at AIG and ask if I am covered, they cannot tell me. Does the Texas Auto Insurance endorsements require that my insurance go with me when renting a car? If I am also driving someone else's car, what coverage would go with me as part of standard Texas policy? I have Liability, Uninsured/underinsured, coverage for damage to my auto (other than collision/collision). When I rent a car from say Enterprise, if my own insurance is in force, what extra coverage should I get so I do not have to pay a thing if their car gets scratched or dented? thank you.....frustrated in Texas.

Answer 1

Read your policy carefully. If it has language that specifically extends coverage to "non-owned vehicles" then you may be covered. It should also define "non-owned vehicles" since that definition varies from one policy to the next and one company to the next.

With some policies, coverage is only extended to "temporary replacement vehicles" meaning that if your car is out of service and you rent one while yours is being repaired, you're covered. This would NOT include a rental car while traveling on business or vacation.

A good policy will specifically explain when you are covered and when you are not. But if the policy doesn't specifically state that you're covered in a rental vehicle you should assume that you are NOT covered. That's the ONLY safe assumption that you can make.

Even if coverage is extended to rental vehicles, you need to make sure that ALL coverage is extended. Some policies ONLY extend liability coverage while others extend all coverage. Again, if your policy is silent, assume that NO coverage is extended.

Best bet: Look for a policy that extends to all vehicles operated by you or any named insured driver on the policy. Many companies offer policies with this coverage and it's cheap peace of mind.

Hint: If AIG's help desk cannot answer the question, it's time to find another insurance company!

Answer 2

Ras-
back in the day, there was only one policy that the Texas Dept of Insurance (TDI) approved, and all insurers in Texas sold and serviced it. It was easy to make policy decisions and give advice because we knew what we were dealing with.
Today Insurers are able to write their own policies and submit them to the TDI. As long as TDI approves it, they can tailor it the way they want it. That is a rather long history to advise you that only your insurance company can tell you exactly if you are, or are not covered.
There are new policies that are based off of the old standard policy, and under those the "coverage" follows you to the rental. Your policy would pay for:
Property Damage (the rental and anything else you damaged that you were liable for)
Some Insurers now list rentals as extensions of your vehicle, meaning that they would pay for Property Damage to another vehicle or someone else's property, but since the rental is an extension of the "Insured vehicle" it would be subject to the Collision deductible( I did not see "Collision" listed as one of your coverages).
"Endorsements" are an entirely different matter. Endorsements are basically extra coverages that you can purchase to modify the policy. You can add for a rental car, towing and labor (road service to fix a flat, unlock a car, etc) or even make sure that your rims, tires and upgraded stereo will be covered in the event of theft or loss. Most policies only allow $1,500.00 for "customization". So if you have a nice stereo and "dubs" and do not have a customization endorsement and have a loss, you will be one unhappy camper. This is the rule of thumb:
"If you ain't payin' for it, it ain't covered"
You are smart to ask about the rental car insurance. Depending on your policy, your coverage may follow to the rental. If that is the case, you will save yourself that $15.00-$20.00 per day for the Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) that they sell to cover damage to their cars. They also sell Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) to pay for any injuries that you might suffer in their car......tack on another $7-10 per day..
Bottom line is that AIG is the only one that can answer your question. If you call them and they can not answer you, keep pushing it up the line until you get a supervisor. If they still can not answer your question, you might want to think about changing companies. Your issue is pretty simple. Claims, on the other hand, are not. Insurance is funny because you pay out the butt for something that you pray you will never use.......
You may buy the policy for price, but it is the service that will make you stay. I'm sure the cost of your policy was attractive, but I am willing to bet that you would be willing to pay a little extra now to speak to an agent or a claims person that would put your mind at ease?

Answer 3

1

Answer 4

Liability coverage does not cover any other car but the one you hit with your car... Most the time you have to show full coverage insurance to rent a car or buy the rental car insurance. I from Texas too! Get more insurance I prefer to buy from a person for all my insurance needs HomeOwner and auto policys at a discount. With full coverage insurance you will not need the renters insurance but if you wreck out you will have to pay your deductable.

Answer 5

Well when u signed up for your insurance you had a choice to add in coverage for road side assistant and rental car. It got an extra fee to your 6month cost but you do have the choice of getting that coverage you have different opyion rental coverage 20 dollars a day rental coverage 30 dollars a day and so on. Hope that helps.

Answer 6

rental cars are tricky, and the safest thing to do would be to ask your insurance company.

Here is a general answer however. I believe that if you are covered for liability in your car, you should be covered for liability in your rental car. Remember this only protects the other motorists injuries and damage and not your own. Any damage to the rental car will be your responsibility to pay.

this is the main benefit of the car rental insurance, it will cover your for damages to the rental car. One important thing to remember is that many credit card companies offer this rental car insurance for free, but it is only with certain rental companies, so check that out before you rent.

Answer 7

Does my auto insurance cover me in a rent car?

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Answer 8

I am pretty sure that your insurance would cover a rental car. I would purchase the car rental place's insurance plan as well, though, just to be on the safe side. It's usually fairly cheap, too, like around $10 a day.

Answer 9

if it was said your not then your not insured...insurance policy is you are insured only if you are driving the car you have insured and listed that you own and drive the car...

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