Here's a breakdown:
Your Car Insurance:
* Liability Coverage: This covers damage or injuries you cause to others while driving the rental car. It's typically included in your policy, but might have limits.
* Collision and Comprehensive Coverage: These cover damage to the rental car, either from an accident (collision) or non-collision incidents like theft or vandalism (comprehensive). It's unlikely your car insurance will automatically extend these coverages to a rental car.
* Rental Reimbursement Coverage: Some policies offer this, which will reimburse you for a portion of the rental car cost if your own car is in the shop due to a covered incident.
Rental Car Agreement:
* Liability Coverage: The rental company will likely include this in their rental agreement, often called "liability insurance."
* Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Theft Protection: These optional coverages protect you from financial responsibility for damage or theft of the rental car.
* Personal Accident Insurance: This covers medical expenses for you or passengers in the rental car.
What to do:
1. Check your car insurance policy: Carefully review your policy to see what coverage is included for rental cars.
2. Contact your insurance agent: Ask them directly if your policy covers rental cars and to what extent.
3. Read the rental agreement: Understand the coverage offered by the rental company and any additional fees involved.
Important:
* Declining CDW: If you have collision and comprehensive coverage on your own policy, you might decline CDW offered by the rental company, as it might be redundant.
* Rental Reimbursement: If your policy offers rental reimbursement, use it to pay for the rental car when your own car is being repaired due to a covered incident.
Ultimately, you need to assess the specific coverage offered by both your car insurance and the rental company to determine what coverage is best for you.
