Commercial auto insurance in Los Angeles is a must-have for business owners who use vehicles for work. The city's congested roads and high accident rates make it a challenging place to drive.
In Los Angeles, commercial auto insurance policies typically cover vehicles used for business purposes, such as company cars, trucks, and vans.
There are several types of commercial auto insurance coverage available, including liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage. Liability coverage protects your business from financial losses if you're involved in an accident.
In California, the minimum liability coverage required for commercial vehicles is $15,000 for property damage and $30,000 for bodily injury per person.
What Is
Commercial auto insurance is designed specifically for businesses that use vehicles in their operations.
State Farm commercial auto insurance can help pay the costs of repairs, legal fees, and medical bills when there's an accident involving you or one of your employees.
Commercial auto insurance offers broader coverage options than personal auto insurance, including protection for multiple vehicles and drivers.
Businesses that use vehicles for tasks like deliveries, transportation of goods, or employee commutes need commercial auto insurance.
State Farm commercial auto coverage is available for many different kinds of vehicles, including cars, trucks, vans, pickups, farm vehicles, and more.
Why Your Business Needs Commercial Auto Insurance
Your business may need commercial auto insurance if you own vehicles, lease or rent them for long-term use, or if employees use their own vehicles for business purposes. This type of insurance protects your business from repair costs, medical fees, and other expenses in case of an accident.
In California, any business that uses vehicles for business purposes must have commercial vehicle insurance, regardless of whether the vehicles are owned by the business or are personal vehicles used for work. Personal auto insurance policies do not cover work-related activities, so a separate commercial auto policy is necessary.
A minor fender-bender can have a major impact on your business, and without proper insurance protection, you could be responsible for paying out of pocket for damages and medical expenses. Commercial auto insurance can help mitigate these risks and ensure your business is protected.
Businesses that regularly transport goods for a fee or require employees to drive company vehicles will likely require commercial auto coverage. This includes construction, contracting, home improvement services, lawn care services, HVAC repair services, and other industries that rely on vehicles for business operations.
Some common businesses in California that may require commercial auto insurance include:
- Construction
- Contracting/building development
- Home improvement services
- Lawn care services
- HVAC repair services
- Car mechanic services
- Wholesale delivery/pickup services
- Food trucks
In California, businesses that fail to have commercial auto insurance may face severe penalties, including fines of over $350, vehicle impoundment, and increased insurance rates. For repeat offenders, the fine can increase to $1,800, and the state may suspend the business's license for up to four years.
Cost and Coverage Options
The cost of commercial auto insurance in Los Angeles, California, can vary significantly based on factors like vehicle type, coverage limits, and business use. On average, the cost is around $142 per month or $1,704 annually.
However, costs can range from $12.50 monthly or $150 annually for basic coverage to $574 to $1,804 per year for Los Angeles contractors. The national average for contractors is about $257 per month.
Liability coverage is essential for protecting your business from legal claims resulting from accidents involving your company vehicles. This coverage helps cover the costs associated with injuries or damages to others if your business is found responsible for an accident.
Coverage Options for Peace of Mind
Having the right commercial auto insurance policy is essential for protecting your business from financial losses due to accidents, theft, or damage. With various coverage options available, you can tailor your policy to suit your unique needs.
Liability coverage is a must-have for any business, as it helps cover costs associated with injuries or damages to others if your business is found responsible for an accident. This coverage is essential for protecting your business from legal claims.
Medical coverage is another crucial aspect of commercial auto insurance, as it helps cover medical expenses for you or your employees in the case of an accident while driving a business vehicle. Injuries can result in significant financial strain, but medical coverage ensures that these costs are managed effectively.
In addition to standard coverage options, commercial auto insurance policies often offer additional protection that is essential for many businesses. Non-owned vehicle coverage, for example, can help protect your business from liabilities that may arise from accidents involving personal vehicles used for work purposes.
Here are some common coverage options to consider:
- Liability coverage: Covers costs associated with injuries or damages to others if your business is found responsible for an accident.
- Medical coverage: Helps cover medical expenses for you or your employees in the case of an accident while driving a business vehicle.
- Non-owned vehicle coverage: Protects your business from liabilities that may arise from accidents involving personal vehicles used for work purposes.
- Collision coverage: Helps pay for a covered vehicle when it’s damaged in a collision with another object, less the deductible.
- Comprehensive coverage: Helps pay for the loss of or damage done to an insured vehicle, not caused by a collision or vehicle rollover, less any deductible.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: Helps pay for injuries, and in some circumstances property damage, when you’re in an accident with a person who is uninsured or doesn’t have enough liability insurance.
By understanding your coverage options and selecting the right policy, you can have peace of mind knowing that your business is protected from financial losses due to accidents, theft, or damage.
Cost
The cost of commercial auto insurance can vary significantly depending on several factors. In California, the average cost is around $113 per month, or $1,356 annually.
Your business's industry, location, and claims history are all taken into account when determining your coverage rate. For example, a taco food truck operating in Downtown LA will likely have a different rate than a multi-vehicle lawn care company running out of Anaheim.
Several factors influence the cost of your commercial auto insurance in California, including your business's industry, vehicle type and value, location, claims history, employee driving records, policy deductible, and limits.
Here are some average costs for commercial auto insurance in California:
You can also earn significant discounts by insuring multiple vehicles under one policy, having a good claims history, and providing proof of commercial general liability coverage.
California Requirements and Regulations
In California, commercial auto insurance is mandatory for businesses that use vehicles for work purposes. Any vehicle used for business, whether it's a personal vehicle or a fleet of vehicles, must be covered by a commercial auto policy.
The minimum liability insurance requirements in California are $15,000 for bodily injury or death for one person, $30,000 for bodily injury or death for more than one person, and $5,000 for property damage liability. This minimum liability insurance only provides third-party coverage and does not include coverage for instances of injury to the driver or theft, vandalism, and natural disaster damage.
Effective January 1st, 2025, the minimum limits will increase to $30,000 for bodily injury or death for one person, $60,000 for bodily injury or death for more than one person, and $10,000 for property damage liability.
If your business owns semi-trucks or other vehicles with a U.S. Department of Transportation of California serial number, you'll need to check the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for additional liability coverage requirements.
Here are the minimum liability insurance requirements in California, broken down:
- $15,000 for bodily injury/death for one person
- $30,000 for bodily injury/death for more than one person
- $5,000 for property damage liability
Keep in mind that these minimum limits do not include any additional insurance requirements for commercial and/or fleet vehicles deemed necessary by any federal, state, or local agency.
Additional Coverage Options
In California, commercial auto insurance policies often offer additional protection that is essential for many businesses. General liability insurance can help shield businesses from financial losses related to third-party claims of bodily injury, property damage, and personal or advertising injury.
Collision coverage is an additional option that can extend a wider network of coverage to your small business's commercial vehicle operations. Comprehensive coverage can also help mitigate some of the risks and liabilities associated with running a small business.
Other options include uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, which can help protect your business from financial losses related to accidents involving vehicles with insufficient insurance. Medical payments (MedPay) coverage pays for medical expenses if employees and passengers are injured in a company-owned vehicle, regardless of who is at fault.
Here are some additional coverage options to consider:
- Collision coverage helps pay for the cost of repairing or replacing your company vehicle if it's damaged in an accident, regardless of who was at fault.
- Comprehensive coverage covers the costs of non-collision damages such as vandalism, theft, flood, or fire.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage insures you against personal injuries and damage involving a company vehicle, in case whomever caused the accident is unable to cover the full cost of damages.
- Towing and labor coverage covers the cost of roadside assistance for company-owned vehicles.
- Loading and unloading coverage insures against the damage of equipment and materials during transport, loading, or unloading.
- Bobtail coverage is recommended when you're using tractors without a trailer. It usually covers the insured vehicle at all times, even during non-work-related uses.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best insurance for commercial vehicles?
For commercial vehicles, NEXT Insurance is the top choice, offering tailored coverage for small businesses. However, other options like Farmers are also worth considering, especially for contractors.
Sources
- https://www.statefarm.com/small-business-solutions/insurance/commercial-auto
- https://www.insureon.com/small-business-insurance/commercial-auto/california
- https://www.infinityauto.com/commercial-auto-insurance/locations/california
- https://allenthomasgroup.com/commercial-auto-insurance/california/los-angeles/
- https://www.e360insurance.com/commercial-auto-insurance/
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