Commercial Auto Insurance

If your business relies on vehicles to get things done, then commercial auto insurance is a must. This policy helps protect you in case of an accident while on the job. Your personal auto insurance typically doesn't extend to company vehicles, so commercial auto insurance can help protect you and your business from the unexpected.

If you have commercial auto insurance for your business, you'll be protected from the financial burdens that come from accidents, like vehicle repairs and medical bills.

Remember, a covered claim will be subject to your policy's deductibles and limits. Additionally, coverage availability and requirements vary by state.

Here are some common commercial auto insurance coverages to help you get started:

Liability Coverage

There are two liability insurance components in a commercial auto policy: bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage. Every state requires auto liability coverage.

Let's say your employee is driving a company vehicle and causes an accident. Bodily injury coverage helps pay for the other driver's medical bills, and property damage coverage helps pay for their car repairs.

Collision Coverage

Collision coverage helps pay to repair your company vehicle or may help pay to replace it if it's a total loss, after a covered accident.

Comprehensive Coverage

Comprehensive coverage helps pay for your business vehicle repairs if it's damaged in a non-collision-related event, like theft, fire, vandalism or hail. For example, if a storm rolls through and hail damages your company car, comprehensive coverage may help pay for repairs.

Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Coverage

If one of your employees is in an accident and an uninsured or underinsured driver is at fault, this coverage helps pay for your employee's medical bills.

Rental Car Coverage

If your company vehicle needs to spend some time in the shop after an accident, rental car coverage helps keep your business running with a rental vehicle.

Designed for businesses with company vehicles, this policy helps pay for repairs to your company vehicle or a driver's medical bills if there's an accident.

What's Not Covered

Not everything is covered by a standard commercial auto insurance policy. While coverages vary based on where you live, the following expenses and scenarios are typically excluded or require additional coverage options be added to your policy:

Medical expenses that are unrelated to an accident when an employee is driving a company vehicle.
The contents inside your business vehicle.
Accidents that happen when an employee drives a personal vehicle for business reasons.
Repairs to a rental vehicle you're driving while waiting for your company car to be fixed after an accident.

Do You Need Commercial Auto Insurance?

It depends on the business you're in. Here are a few of the professions that may benefit from commercial auto insurance:

Artisan / specialty contractors
Carpenters
Plumbers
Electricians
Landscapers
Realtors
Doctors and Dentists
Lawyers
Florists
And more such as Taxi's, Limo's & Ride Sharing

What Is the Risk if I Don't Have Commercial Auto Insurance for My Business?

If you don't have commercial auto insurance for your business, you may be vulnerable to financial risk when accidents happen. That's because typically, a personal auto policy doesn't cover your business vehicles. Here are a few of the risks you and your business may face without commercial auto insurance:

No liability coverage
No coverage for any vehicle repairs
No coverage for legal expenses
No comprehensive coverage for unrelated damages such as theft, vandalism or hail

How Much Does Commercial Auto Insurance Cost?

There are a few factors that determine the amount of your commercial auto insurance policy. These include the coverages you choose, your coverage limits (the maximum amount of money insurance will pay for a covered claim) and your deductible (the amount you pay out-of-pocket for a covered claim).