All About Auto Insurance Endorsements

An auto insurance endorsement is an addition to your policy that modifies your coverage for your needs. Auto insurance policies have coverages such as comprehensive, collision, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. But did you know insurance companies also offer endorsements so you can customize your coverage?  It’s important to be aware about auto insurance endorsements. You never know, you may need one and not even know it!

Typical Auto Insurance Endorsements

• Car rental insurance – we’ve blogged about this before, and it covers the reimbursement for the cost of a rental car in the event of a claim. Your policy may have coverage limits, so check with your insurance advisor if you have questions.
• Roadside assistance – if your vehicle breaks down, this coverage helps with towing or other expenses.
• Full glass – if a rock flies up and damages your windshield, this covers the repairs at a low or no dollar deductible.

Miscellaneous Auto Insurance Endorsements

Not all auto insurance carriers offer these endorsements, so make sure you talk to your advisor about the right fit for you.

• Gap Insurance – Everyone knows a car’s value typically goes down the moment it’s driven off the lot. If you’re in a total loss accident, standard coverages likely only cover the current value of the vehicle. What if you have a car loan? This standard coverage’s reimbursement can be quite less than what you owe. Gap coverage helps with that difference.
• Child Seat Replacement – After a covered loss, an installed child safety seat can be covered at replacement costs, sometimes without a deductible.
• Pet Injury – All members of the family are important to us, including the family dog or cat. Pet Injury coverage can provide coverage if they are injured or killed as a result of a covered accident.
• Accident Forgiveness –  This generally means your policy won’t be charged for your first chargeable At-fault accident. Accident Forgiveness can be earned over the course of a few years, or it could be available at the start of the policy.

What to consider when looking for car insurance endorsements

Each insurance carrier has their own endorsement options. A good place to start is to check your policy documents to see what insurance coverages you currently have. If you’re not sure if you have enough coverage, reach out to your Cincinnatus advisor to see which endorsements work pair well with your existing policy.