Rental car -- liability with additional drivers from other households

[someguy]

Looking for opinions, information, and real-life experience for those who travel with other couples and contemplate sharing a rental car.

Specifically, if members of another household (ie, have their own separate insurance policies) are added as authorized drivers, how much risk is there to the primary renting person or couple?

 

[LateToFIRE]

Great question. I'm very interested in the answers. In general, I'm paranoid when it comes to liability and will typically buy the rental company's liability policy even though should be covered by my own personal vehicle insurance. Damaging the rental car - far less concerned about that.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I buy the rental car insurance also so if there’s an accident you can just walk away without issues. I have known people to not take it and had their credit cards charged huge amounts even though they had coverage through the card and other major hassles. Just not worth it to me.

 

[LateToFIRE]

I buy the rental car insurance also so if there’s an accident you can just walk away without issues. I have known people to not take it and had their credit cards charged huge amounts even though they had coverage through the card and other major hassles. Just not worth it to me.

Thinking about it, if I were sharing a car with other people (besides DW), I would insist on purchasing full coverage from the rental company (liability and damage waiver). That would probably eliminate a bunch of questions on who is liable for what. Quickest way to lose friends is over petty money stuff, much less squabbling over who should pay for a dented bumper or worse. And yeh, I really don't trust the CC companies on the car insurance stuff.

 

[braumeister]

My guess is that if you buy the rental company's insurance and have every possible driver listed by name on the rental agreement, there should be no problem.

But I would also note that rental agreements can have a lot of small print in them, so if this concerns you I would make it a point to*read the contract in detail before signing it.

 

[someguy]

To clarify: Everyone involved is a US citizen and this is in the US so we're not talking about international where one's regular personal insurance may not cover.

 

[someguy]

Great question. I'm very interested in the answers. In general, I'm paranoid when it comes to liability and will typically buy the rental company's liability policy even though should be covered by my own personal vehicle insurance. Damaging the rental car - far less concerned about that.

Agreed. Mainly I'm worried about my liability exposure if the other approved driver(s) seriously injure a third party.

 

[braumeister]

If you're really that worried about such an unlikely event, I would either not share the car rental and do all the driving myself, or insist that the others get their own rental.

 

[Sunset]

We shared a van in HI , and drove the road to Hana. I was happy to let the other person who rented the van drive it all the time

Much nicer being a passenger!!

 

[MarieIG]

My guess is that if you buy the rental company's insurance and have every possible driver listed by name on the rental agreement, there should be no problem.

But I would also note that rental agreements can have a lot of small print in them, so if this concerns you I would make it a point to*read the contract in detail before signing it.

I tend to be belt and suspenders with regard to liability insurance. (Yes, I am a contract reader.) I would rather have more than less - and let the carriers battle over priority of coverage.

 

[Splash]

I just asked my insurance agent about this a week ago. I was told that its important to have all the drivers sign the rental agreement. They also need to have an auto insurance policy that would cover the rental car when they are driving. The agent said my insurance would cover the rental car when I was driving as if I was driving my own car. However, that is because I have full coverage on my car. So, it depends what kind of coverage the drivers have on their own auto insurance policies.