Commercial Auto coverage may include liability only or may also provide physical damage coverage. The liability portion covers damage to other vehicles or property and injury to others in accidents for which you are at-fault. Auto physical damage covers repair of vehicles you own. Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may be purchased with the business auto policy and it provides coverage for accidents involving uninsured or underinsured motorists.
Enhanced Coverage of Nonprofits OWN Business Auto Liability
Summaries of key features only. Actual policy language will differ.
- Hired auto physical damage included with Hired Auto Liability
- Dedicated staff claims examiner assigned to auto fleets
- FREE driver training (online and self-study)
From the CLAIM’S FILES
Uninsured Motorist:
A nonprofit’s employee was traveling on agency business in a car owned by the nonprofit and was rear-ended by an uninsured motorist. The crash was severe, pushing the nonprofit vehicle into the vehicle ahead. The employee’s neck and back injuries were serious and required two surgeries over an eight-year period. While workers’ compensation paid more than $200,000 in medical and disability benefits, the employee was also entitled to additional economic and non-economic damages under the vehicle’s uninsured motorist coverage. Those claims were settled for $350,000 without the need for litigation.
Unsafe Lane Change:
A nonprofit vehicle made an unsafe lane change into a passing vehicle, which then went off the highway and crashed into a call box. The driver and passenger in the other vehicle both brought injury claims and retained an attorney. Over a four-year period, each claimant incurred more than $60,000 of suspect medical treatment. By the time a court ordered mediation was held, the claimants had fired two attorneys and hired a third. Demands at mediation were for more than $500,000 and the claims eventually settled for a total of $80,000, but not before we incurred $70,000 in defense costs.
Right of Way:
A nonprofit vehicle entered a highway after stopping for a stop sign. The driver failed to notice a motorcycle traveling down the highway, which had no stop sign and the right of way. The motorcycle crashed and the rider was injured. The claim was eventually litigated. The injuries were serious and damages included a loss of income claim. We settled the case at mediation for $160,000. Defense expense costs, however, were more than $75,000.