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.

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.