22 January 2025

How Much Liability Insurance Is Included In Your US Car Rental?

We talk you through the ins and outs of US car hire insurance and how we can help

Are you planning a trip to the USA? If you are, please be aware that there has been an industry wide change in the level of liability insurance provided by car rental companies. Liability insurance with car rental in America is the equivalent of third party insurance here in the UK.

If you have hired a car in the US in the past, you may have had $1 million of third party cover with your rental. Most hire companies have now reduced this level to between $300k and $500k. If you would be more comfortable with a higher level then Supplementary Liability Insurance Policies are available through MoneyMaxim that can top up the liability insurance that comes with your hire to $1million. Bear in mind that liability insurance can cover not just the other vehicle but damage to other property and injuries to a third party.

Where will you be heading?

Florida is always a popular US destination not just due to the theme parks but also the Everglades, Kennedy Space Center, miles of sandy beaches and, of course, almost guaranteed sunshine! It is bound to top the charts when it comes to UK visitors this year. We are also expecting many to head to the west coast and also to the National Parks such as Yellowstone and Yosemite. All of these destinations are ripe for exploring with a hire car!

We can offer car hire from major airports across the USA including Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, Chicago and Salt Lake City. You can also search for downtown locations if you want to pick up nearer your hotel or accommodation. We offer you a choice from a wide range of vehicles to suit the type of trip you are planning, from smaller compact cars up to 9 seaters and 4x4 cars.

When is a great deal not a great deal?

Many people look for the cheapest deal when they are hiring a car but, were you aware that you can find car rental for the USA online with no insurance included? This can happen when you use a US website and often looks like a great offer. However, when you then factor in the cost of buying the additional full insurance, it may not be so cheap after all! And worse, sometimes you cannot buy the additional insurance you need. The reason these hires are available is that car insurance works very differently for US citizens. They can cover rental cars through their private insurance and therefore do not need the insurance packaged in with a hire.

How can we help you?

When you run a quote for car rental in the USA with MoneyMaxim, you are likely to see results from our in-house broker Clarify Car Hire. With Clarify Car Hire all our USA hire packages come with Collision Damage Waiver, Theft Waiver and Third Party Liability included.

Car hire can feel confusing at the best of times so at Clarify Car Hire our aim is to make renting a car clear and simple and that includes with your car hire insurance. At Clarify Car Hire we state clearly what insurance is included in each rental on the quote and in your voucher once you have booked.

When you hire a car anywhere in the world you want to be confident you have the main insurances in place before you pick up your vehicle. These are:

Collision Damage Waiver – covers bodywork damage to the car you are driving

Theft Waiver – covers the hire car if it is stolen

Third Party Liability Insurance – covers damage to other people and their property

Usually, if you are using a UK website, the main insurances are included but there is no such thing as a ‘standard package’ so you should always check if you are not sure whether your hire includes them. Unfortunately, this can often be tricky, with information sometimes hidden amongst the small print or only available by getting in contact with the provider.

If you need any assistance with your car hire in the USA or any questions regarding insurance we are here to help.