Am I covered if I Borrow or Rent a Vehicle in Washington DC?

Sometimes you find yourself in a difficult situation, where you need to rent a vehicle on short notice. You may also need to borrow a vehicle that belongs to a friend or family member at some point. In either scenario, you may wonder if you’re covered under your insurance policy. Most policies that are issued for people in Washington DC won’t cover them when they drive other people’s cars, and not all policies cover them in rental cars, either. It often depends on the extent of the policy.

In order to determine if your coverage will protect you, come see us or give us a call. As an independent agent we work with a lot of companies, and we can find one that will provide you with the kind of coverage you need. We can also help you if you already have a policy with us and just have a question about it. No matter whose car you’re thinking of using, that person’s insurance will often cover what’s called an "occasional driver." That would be someone like you, who only borrowed the car for a little bit and doesn’t really drive it often.

Despite the fact that the other person’s auto policy will probably protect you, and that you can get insurance through the rental car company for a high price, it’s much better to know specifically what your policy covers. That way you don’t have to worry at all about whether you’ll be protected in the event of an accident. Even something as simple as getting pulled over for a minor traffic infraction can turn into a big deal if you don’t have insurance or you aren’t covered on the car you’re driving. Don’t take the chance. Just get in touch with us and make sure what kind of coverage you have so you can enjoy your drive.

Commercial Insurance Coverage Options in Maryland

When you live in Maryland and want to open a business, one of the things you want to be sure about is your commercial insurance coverage options. We can help you with that. As an independent agent, we work with a lot of different companies. That lets us compare prices and show you different policy options. Price matters, of course, but there’s more to the issue of insuring your business than just how much it costs. You also have to focus on the value that you’re getting for the money, and you need to make sure the coverage you’re getting is right for you.

When you open a business in or around Laurel, the type of business you’re getting into will affect what policy you need. Some home-based businesses, for example, don’t really need anything beyond the regular homeowners insurance. Other businesses that are operated in a person’s home will need a business policy because of customer liability. All businesses that are not run from home have to have commercial policies that protect the business from liability and that also protect the building if the company owner also owns that building. Many businesses rent their spaces, though, and don’t need to insure the structure itself.

Liability is the most important part of business insurance. If someone is injured by your product, or if a person is hurt on your property, you’ll have to make sure your insurance will pay for the damages. You could still be sued, but having good insurance is one of the best ways to avoid lawsuits and to avoid the loss of your business through financial problems. You can’t plan for everything when you own and run a business, but by talking to an independent agent like us you can focus on protecting yourself from many of the financial problems that come from a lack of insurance coverage.

What you need to know about Property Damage Coverage in Laurel, Maryland?

When you have property that’s your own, like a home or a car, you obviously want to protect it so you don’t have to worry about damage. Unfortunately, you can’t always keep damage from occuring – and that’s why you have insurance. Your Maryland property can be repaired or replaced, but only if you have the financial ability to do so. If you protect your Laurel home and your auto with a good insurance policy, you’ll be able to get back what you’ve lost if something should happen to the material things you hold dear.

The best way to get the right property damage coverage is to come see us. As an independent agent, we can work with a lot of different companies to get you the best rates for the most comprehensive coverage available to you. You can link your home and auto policies together and get a discount, and if you have other specific property needs we can talk about how best to insure them, as well. You need to know that property damage coverage isn’t always going to protect everything, and that there are some kinds of disasters that won’t be covered under a standard policy.

There are riders and additional policies available for things like hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods. Whether you need additional policies, and whether you need riders for specific types of property, are things we can help you determine. If you have a grand piano or expensive jewelry, for example, you may want to have additional coverage specifically for those kinds of items, to make sure you have enough coverage to protect you in a property disaster. The same is true with your car policy. Collision and comprehensive insurance are good choices, because they provide you with more protection and peace of mind than just the minimum liability.

What are the Liability Insurance Requirements for Drivers in Washington DC?

Just like all of the states, if you live in our nation’s capitol, you are required to carry a minimum amount of liability insurance. Washington DC is a no-fault District which means that you must carry both liability insurance for damage you may cause to another person or vehicle and also carry uninsured motorist coverage in case you are injured or your property is damaged by another driver who does not have insurance.

Under the Washington DC Compulsory No-Fault Motor Vehicle Act, drivers must maintain minimum auto liability insurance of 25/50/10. In other words, you must have $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage in case you injure the driver of another vehicle and a total of $50,000 in bodily injury liability coverage for all other individuals who may also require medical attention. In addition, the minimum requirements are $10,000 for any property damage that you may cause.

Because Washington DC auto insurance is no-fault and not like some other states where auto liability insurance is based on tort law and the at-fault driver bears the financial burden, drivers are also required to carry uninsured motorist liability coverage. This coverage protects you, the driver, in the event you get into an accident with an uninsured driver.

Uninsured bodily injury liability coverage minimums are $25,000 for a single person injured in an accident by a driver with no insurance and $50,000 for all people who may be injured by the uninsured driver in that same accident. Uninsured property damage liability is $5,000.

A large number of our clients buy policies that exceed the mandatory minimum requirements. The most popular liability policy is 100/300/50. It does not raise your premiums by too much and you will have much better coverage. If you would like to find out what coverage is best for you, give us a call and talk with an independent agent who can fill you in on all the details.