Zipcar carries the state minimum insurance coverage. When I owned my own car I bought additional liability insurance and now when renting I can buy suplamental liability offered by the rental company. Is there a way for me to get higher liability coverage through Zipcar? Any ideas for other ways to get more motor vehicle liability coverage when driving a zipcar?

-- Anonymous, March 05, 2004

Answers

According to the website, Zipcar carries a $1 million liability policy. I had a hard time getting that information before I joined, but then I saw it spelled out. I knew this would really change the economics of going car-free, so I called to confirm and I was told the $1 million liability insurance is correct. Check the "help" section of Zipcar's website for information about insurance.

If you want additional coverage for renting or borrowing other cars, check into a "Named non-owners liability policy" with your car insurer. It's not cheap. Getting one would have cost me 2/3 of my regular car insurance, and that's without having a car to insure.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2004

Geico offers several non-owned vehicle liability policies, but they are not cheap. I agree that we should be able to purchase additional coverage through Zipcar, as would be optional with any rental company.

I highly doubt that there is a $1,000,000 liability for us as members, the New York State minimum coverage which is all they say they offer, is $25/$50 (property/liability).

Info@zipcar, please clarify.

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2005

Sorry, that is $25K/$50K for property/liability in NYS.

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2005

I chased down the $1 million insurace policy question recently with Steve Oakley. The company is the name insured, the reasoning that this protects you goes something like: an event that results in a substantial loss "will engage the existing policies of all parties". I don't know anything about insurance but I'm not sure that makes me feel as cosy as having a policy that names me the member. Note that Zipcar took the reference to a $1 million liability police out of their web page quite a while ago.

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2005

Thanks, Stephen. Your right not to feel cozy. If we are not named we can essentially be excluded, depending on the circumstances of the accident. If there were a determination of proportionate liability, and you were found to be 99% liable vs. Zipcar's 1%, guess what...

-- Anonymous, January 03, 2005