Whether renting a car for vacation or due to an issue with a personal car, all renters have to consider one important question: should they get the rental car insurance? People will tell you a lot of different opinions on the necessity of it, so we put together a couple key things to consider from our experts. Let’s weigh the pros and cons:

Benefits of rental car insurance:

  • It might cover areas that your personal insurance lacks or does not have adequate coverage for. Liability insurance, which covers others’ medical costs and property damage, will typically carry over to your rental in the event of a collision, but some supplemental additions might be welcome if your deductible is high.
  • Another area it might supplement or cover is comprehensive and collision coverage. Comprehensive covers non-driving-related issues like theft, fire, or vandalism. Collision covers damage costs that result from a crash.
  • If you’re driving abroad, your typical coverage might not cover your car in that country. In that case, you will definitely need the rental car insurance if you want to avoid high damage costs in the event of a crash.
  • Some options will include personal effects coverage. If you have expensive belongings and they get stolen, this will help cover those costs.
  • If you or any passengers are injured in a collision, the personal accident coverage will include your own medical or ambulance costs if they’re not already covered in your personal auto insurance.

Disadvantages of rental car insurance:

  • If you have great insurance, then the rental insurance may be more repetitive rather than helpful. Always compare to your own insurance to see how it holds up or call your insurance provider for a second opinion.
  • Some homeowner’s or renter’s insurance can cover your personal belongings through personal property coverage, so you won’t need that addition from the rental insurance.
  • Additionally, if you have no expensive items that you want to have insured, then it’s an extra cost you don’t need.

Overall, it really just depends on the state of your personal auto insurance and its deductibles. Just do your research before accepting or declining the offered rental insurance. If you do get into an accident and need expert auto body service and a rental car, Superior Collision Center can help.