As we shared in an earlier post, one of the most common items our clients use in their productions are vehicles.
Rental cars let you store equipment, transport a crew or keep your gear safe in between shoots. Even though we recognize the significant part cars play in our productions, we don’t cover them with the right insurance. Sometimes you can get insurance coverage from the rental business providing the vehicles, but those policies lack adequate coverage. They are only interested in covering the interests of the rental location.
It’s always best to have your own insurance policies in place. There are two types of coverage you should consider: Hired Auto Liability and Hired Auto Physical Damage. We offer both as part of our short-term policies and annual policies.
Hired Auto Liability Insurance
Hired Auto Liability Insurance covers any injuries or property damage that your rented vehicles might cause to others.
If you rear-ended somebody, then this policy covers damage done to that other party. This insurance is typically the most critical coverage for most rental houses. If you totaled their vehicle without insurance, they probably have insurance to cover the costs. However, if you accidentally hit a pedestrian with their car, that’s a different story. Both you and the rental agency could be looking at a million dollar claim pretty quick. Consequently, most rental locations demand Hired Auto Liability Insurance.
Hired Auto Physical Damage Insurance
A Hired Auto Physical Damage policy covers damage done to the vehicle itself while you rent it.
Sometimes the company renting the vehicle to you will give you the option to go under their insurance for this type of coverage. However, it’s always best to have your policy. Plus, if you rent a lot of vehicles, it’s cheaper to get our policy then it is to pay extra money for their coverage every time you rent.
You should also keep in mind that this coverage also applies to vehicles that are owned by your employees. If you tell your employee to get in their car and pick up some pizza to bring back to the set, they could theoretically get in an accident and try to put the claim through your policy. Sure, their policy would still be primary, but we see a lot of claims from inexperienced PA’s or actors who get into a fender bender while on set and try to put the claim through the production company. If you are trying to only rely on the insurance from the rental houses, they aren’t going to extend coverage to these kinds of claims.
We all use cars for our productions. Even if you aren’t officially renting one for your shoot, your crew is going to be using their vehicles to get around. You want to make sure that you and your company are properly insured, so make sure to ask us about Hired Auto Insurance for your next shoot!
