How does third party liability work in the US? What is SLI (Supplementary Liability Insurance)?
The following information is for US visitors only. In most other countries, renters are not liable for injury or damages to other vehicles. Please refer to our Rental Guides for more information.
Supplementary Liability Insurance (SLI) protects you against injuries you may cause to other drivers and damage to their vehicles. In some countries this "third party" protection is compulsorily provided by the vehicle owner, i.e. the rental companies. However in the US, rental cars have minimal third-party liability, meaning the driver is potentially liable for injuries to other people and their property.
If you are renting in the US you will be offered SLI (also called Accident Liability Insurance/ALI or LIS or Renter Liability Protection) by the rental company, which will normally provide $1,000,000 coverage. SLI is also available on RentalCover. Prices at the rental desk can be up to 50% higher.†
How much protection is needed?
Rental companies typically provide the minimum amount of third-party coverage required by each state, which can be quite low. SLI, including that offered by RentalCover tops up that minimum, up to $1,000,000.
| Coverage included with a rental, as determined by state law | |||
| State | Individual | Multiple Persons | Property |
| California | $15,000 | $30,000 | $5,000 |
| Florida | $10,000 | $20,000 | $10,000 |
| Nevada | $15,000 | $30,000 | $10,000 |
| New York | $25,000 | $50,000 | $10,000 |
| Other | $10-50 thous. | $30-100 thous. | $5-25 thous. |
When am I insured by SLI?
With SLI you would only claim if you were the driver at fault and caused third-party damages and/or injuries. The only exception to this would be if you were deemed by a court to be responsible for a third-party accident even if it is not caused by you directly, though this may vary - please check your wording.
How does the claims process work?
To make an SLI claim you will need to contact the protection provider provided by our claims team. Visit rentalcover.com/claim to get started.
You will be asked to fill out a statement of claim, and to provide receipts of payment, copies of invoices and police reports as well as other details from the third party showing evidence of damages or injuries sustained).
Please refer to our Rental Guides for more information.