Rental insurance: Better to be safe … April 9, 2007
Posted by admin in : Car Insurance News, Car Rental Insurance , add a commentBy Todd Liebman,
Stripes Travel reader
Stripes European Travel,
Thursday, March 29, 2007
You have started your vacation and arrived at your destination after a relaxing flight.
You walk up to the rental car counter to pick up your car, and the agent asks if you want the optional insurance through the rental company.
At $20 per day, the coverage seems a little costly, and you remember hearing that your personal auto insurance provides sufficient coverage. So you pass.
Yet, as you drive away from the airport you wonder what the “right†answer to the question really is. Of course, any good lawyer will tell you “It depends.â€
Here are the facts.
If you take the rental car company’s insurance, chances are you are paying to alleviate any problems should the car be damaged in an accident. The answer is conditional because you must still be operating the vehicle lawfully. Many, if not most, insurance contracts have clauses that provide that the coverage will not protect you if you are driving recklessly, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Assuming those factors are not at issue, the rental company’s insurance provides a comfortable layer of protection for a price.
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