What does uninsured motorist coverage do?

If you are hit by a driver with no insurance or not enough insurance, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage pays your medical bills.

What happens if an uninsured driver hits you in Georgia?

Georgia does not require UM coverage but roughly 12 percent of Georgia drivers carry no insurance.

What happens if a Georgia crash costs more than my liability limits?

Your insurer pays up to your liability limit and stops. The remaining balance becomes a personal debt collectible through a court judgment.

What should I do if my car is towed to a shop I did not choose?

In Georgia, you have the right to choose where your vehicle is repaired. If it was towed to a facility you did not select, you can request a second tow to your preferred shop, though you may be responsible for additional tow costs.

What does a telematics app actually track?

Mileage, speed, braking and acceleration, time of day, and phone handling while the car moves. Carriers weight the factors differently, and the program terms disclose what is collected and how it is used.

Auto FAQs

Does my auto policy cover a rental car?

All FAQs

Quick answer: Usually yes, if you have comprehensive and collision on your policy.

Does my personal auto insurance cover rental cars?

Personal auto insurance typically extends to rental cars used for personal trips within the United States. Your existing liability, collision, and comprehensive coverages generally follow you into a standard rental vehicle, but they transfer exactly as they exist on your own policy, no better and no worse.

That last point is where gaps appear. If you carry liability only on your own car, you have no collision or comprehensive coverage on the rental. Damage to the rental comes out of your pocket. Rental companies do not care whether your policy would have covered the vehicle if you owned it.

What gaps catch rental car drivers off guard?

Loss-of-use charges. While a damaged rental is being repaired, the rental company bills you for the days that car is out of their fleet. Many personal auto policies do not cover this, or cover it only partially.
Diminished value. A car that has been in an accident is worth less than one that has not. Rental companies sometimes pursue a diminished-value claim after a collision. Personal auto policies often do not cover this.
Your deductible still applies. If you carry collision on your own vehicle and the same coverage follows you to the rental, you still pay your deductible before your insurer picks up the rest. See more on how deductibles work.
Out-of-country rentals. Most personal auto policies do not extend to rentals in Mexico or Canada. Coverage rules vary by carrier. Check your declarations page before crossing the border.
Business use exclusions. Using a rental for work, delivery, rideshare, or hauling materials for your employer can void personal-use coverage. Commercial auto policies handle that exposure.

What does the rental company's CDW actually cover?

The rental company's collision damage waiver (CDW) eliminates most of the uncertainty. You pay a daily fee and the company absorbs the damage claim. Whether that fee is worth the cost depends on what your own policy and credit card already cover.

For example, you fly to Florida, rent a sedan, and have a minor collision in a parking garage. Your auto liability pays for the other driver's vehicle damage. If you carry collision, it covers repairs to the rental, minus your deductible. If the rental sits in a repair bay for four days, the rental company's loss-of-use bill falls to you unless your policy explicitly covers it.

Do credit cards cover rental car damage?

Credit cards sometimes fill part of this gap. Many travel cards include rental car collision coverage as a cardholder benefit, though they typically exclude liability and are secondary to your auto policy. The card's terms define what they actually cover. For a fuller picture of personal auto protections, see Georgia's auto minimum limits and what they leave exposed.

For example, a premium travel card may cover collision damage to a rental vehicle as a primary benefit, meaning you pay nothing out of pocket before the card pays. A basic rewards card may offer only secondary coverage, meaning your auto policy pays first and the card covers only what remains after your deductible.

How do I find out what my current policy covers for rental cars?

A licensed advisor can pull your current declarations, map where your coverage ends, and tell you what exposure remains. The difference between replacement cost and actual cash value affects how a claim on the rental vehicle would settle. Request a coverage review to get a clear answer for your specific policy.