What is Commercial Auto?
Commercial auto insurance covers certain legal liability resulting from bodily injury or property damage caused by the vehicles used in your business. Coverage can extend to vehicles that are leased, rented, or borrowed. You can also insure your commercial vehicles against physical damage from hail, fire, and other risks.
Why do I need this insurance?
Whether your business owns one vehicle or an entire fleet, auto insurance is a mandatory consideration. Businesses that own fleets of vehicles are at an increased risk of loss, and thus require more coverage. For example, vehicles parked together overnight are at risk of being destroyed in a single incident, such as a fire.
All states require vehicle owners to purchase a minimum amount of automobile liability insurance. Most states have separate minimum coverage limits for bodily injury to each person who is hurt in an accident, for bodily injury for all people hurt in the accident, and for property damage. Be sure to purchase enough coverage to protect your business assets — typically this amount will be much higher than the minimum limits mandated by your state.
Physical damage coverage pays for damage to the insured vehicle. There are three basic types of physical damage coverage: collision, comprehensive, and specified perils:
Collision coverage pays for losses that result from a collision of the insured vehicle.
Comprehensive coverage is broader, and provides coverage for losses other than those covered by collision.
Specified perils coverage is a less expensive option than comprehensive coverage. It generally covers fire, theft, and various specified perils.