Rental Car Liability Insurance Cover - in North Carolina

[nagais]

I have a question about third party liability coverage for rental cars.

I currently do not hold any auto insurance. However, when I rent a car, the credit card company would provide coverage for the rental car itself, but not the liability coverage (for other cars in a potential accident, or any property damage). I am clear about this part.

Apparently, third party liability insurance coverage (for the state required minimum amounts) is included in the rental fee itself in some states in the USA (mandated by the state) and not in some other states.

Is this information accurate?

More importantly, is the liability coverage included in the rental fee in North Carolina (for any rental company)?

Thanks

 

[djs]

I'd suggest asking the rental company.

You can also look at the rental contract, if what they were selling was called supplemental liability insurance, then it usually means that the state minimum is provided in the rental fee. Not always though.

Again, just ask the rental company.

Dan

 

[nagais]

Thanks Dan. I am thinking about Alamo for my rental.

I could not post the link to their T&C, as I am a rookie here. Essentially they say that if the state has mandated that they provide the liability coverage, they would do so..

So, the critical question then is to know if NC is one such state.. I am trying to book online and do not live close to the place where I would take the rental car out. This means that I could not get to see the contract till that date!

I hope someone here pitch in as to NC's law on this regard - rental companies are mandated to provide the coverage or not.. In most places in the web, they say that most states do, with some exceptions (they point CA as an example for the exception). But I could not find a list of states anywhere in the web. May be I am just overthinking this.

 

[hesse]

If you don't currently have insurance I am assuming you don't drive that often. NC state minimum limits are 30/60/25. What happens when you tbone a family in an escalade that's 80,000 that you only have coverage to cover 25,000? Even worse you paralyze the primary income earner and you have a maximum of 30k to cover his medical and lost income for the next 30 years? I would suggest you try not to save 10 bucks on extra insurance when it could possibly cost you hundreds of thousands later.

 

[nagais]

Thanks Hesse for your comment.

However, I do understand the risk that I am taking by only having the state minimum liability. Unfortunately, what I am trying to understand here is not that, because after consideration, I have decided that I am comfortable taking that risk.

My main question here is if the minimum expected liability coverage would be included in the rental car fee (in North Carolina) or not. Do you have information to confirm/negate this?

 

[Indiana_Adam]

Thanks Hesse for your comment.

However, I do understand the risk that I am taking by only having the state minimum liability. Unfortunately, what I am trying to understand here is not that, because after consideration, I have decided that I am comfortable taking that risk.

My main question here is if the minimum expected liability coverage would be included in the rental car fee (in North Carolina) or not. Do you have information to confirm/negate this?

No, you don't understand the risk you are taking.

Not only are you putting your financial future in jeopardy, you're putting EVERYONE else out on the road at jeopardy. The insurance isn't just to protect you, it gives your potential victims an avenue to recoup any potential losses they have due to their time and injuries resulting from your errors. The attitude of saving a few bucks over doing the responsible thing is quiet selfish on your part.

If you got hit by another driver, would you want them to just have state minimum or would you prefer them to have higher limits to cover your damages?

 

[nagais]

Oops.. This somehow answers my actual question. But I fail to understand how. Thanks anyway.

 

[KPIA]

I agree that asking the rental car company is a good place to find out. If you want further reading on the subject you can read this article I wrote on Rental Car Insurance.