When renting a car, how much is third party liability insurance? (cost, rentals)

[travel-a-lot]

I will be renting a car and am trying to do it as cheap as possible. I'm going from buffalo, ny to myrtle beach. My credit card covers insurance but not third party liability which means if i get in an accident they can sue me and my coverage wont cover that. How much would it be to get third party liability insurance?

[Finger Laker]

typically insurance coverage for damage to a 3rd party is covered by the rental company with the damage to the vehicle being your responsibility

note though, that the liability limits provided with the vehicle are typically the statuatory minimum - which may not be sufficient given the nature of the damage/injury

check to see how your credit card company interplays .... also, look at your personal insurance as well

typically someone who has personal insurance and rents with a credit card is going to be OK for most instances

without you may need to fill in some gaps

[StealthRabbit]

I have liability only on my car policies, so when I rent a car I add a 'rental car binder' from my regular insurance. It is about $5/month additional.

[travel-a-lot]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

typically insurance coverage for damage to a 3rd party is covered by the rental company with the damage to the vehicle being your responsibility

note though, that the liability limits provided with the vehicle are typically the statuatory minimum - which may not be sufficient given the nature of the damage/injury

check to see how your credit card company interplays .... also, look at your personal insurance as well

typically someone who has personal insurance and rents with a credit card is going to be OK for most instances

without you may need to fill in some gaps

I phoned my credit card and they told me everything except third party liability is covered. I don't have personal insurance so I don't know what to expect when I go to get my car tomorrow

[travel-a-lot]

Also I might want to add an extra day while I'm down there(depending on how things go). How would I do this and what would the charges be?

[Finger Laker]

For the insurance you are most likely looking at 3 options:

1. Gambling that any liability losses are below the state statuatory minimums
2. Purchasing supplemental liability insurance from the rental car company
3. Purchase a non-owner auto insurance policy.

Non-owner policies aren't that pricey and are purchased typically for a duration in time - not just trip. This will help cover your liability in pretty much any situation where you are driving an auto you do not own.
As for the extra day, check with the rental company - each will handle it differently but there will obviously be an extra cost

[markg91359]

I will be renting a car and am trying to do it as cheap as possible. I'm going from buffalo, ny to myrtle beach. My credit card covers insurance but not third party liability which means if i get in an accident they can sue me and my coverage wont cover that. How much would it be to get third party liability insurance?

Have you checked with your insurance company and been personally told that insurance won't cover you while you use a rental car? (I assume you own your own car and it is insured)

Ordinarily, that's not the rule. Your liability insurance on your car generally covers you while you drive your car and while you are the permissive user of another vehicle. The insurance policies that I have seen provide third party liability coverage when you are using a temporary substitute vehicle. A rental car while you are on vacation, generally qualifies as a temporary substitute vehicle.

If your insurance agent tells you something else, than buy the coverage. Otherwise, you are very likely covered and don't need to pay for insurance twice.

[Alaskan Mutt]

Originally Posted by travel-a-lot

I will be renting a car and am trying to do it as cheap as possible. I'm going from buffalo, ny to myrtle beach. My credit card covers insurance but not third party liability which means if i get in an accident they can sue me and my coverage wont cover that. How much would it be to get third party liability insurance?

Car rental companies often offer 4 options.

1. They will pay the deductable and your insurance pays the rest for damages to the rental car.

2. They pay for all damages to the rental car.

3. Liability insurance if you are at fault and the other party sues.

4. Complete coverage including options 2 and 3.

Rental companies will try to get you to take the complete coverage. It can cost as much as $50 a day. Option 3 often runs between $10 and $20 a day. The actual cost varies greatly from town to town. It also varies greatly between all of the different rental companies.

You say your credit card provides insurance for the damages. You might want to check and see if they pay everything or just the deductable. I could be wrong but I have not heard of credit card companies paying more than just the deductable.

[jtur88]

I would expect that it would be much much cheaper if you can get the same coverage from your own insurance company, rather than from the car rental agency. So exhaust that possibility, before even considering adding it to your rental contract.

[Finger Laker]

The problem is if you don't have a personal auto policy

for example, Geico offers an extension you can buy as an addendum to your homeowners/renters insurance
GEICO | Rental Car Insurance ~ Car Rentals & Auto Insurance