How Commercial Auto Insurance Applies to Law Firms
Protect your vehicles, your employees, and your assets.
Commercial auto insurance can help cover the cost of any auto accidents that happen while you or any members of your firm are driving a vehicle owned by the firm.
Your coverage provides liability and physical damage protection to help pay for medical expenses or property damage. Commercial vehicles require a separate policy because they’re typically exposed to more risk than personal vehicles. We can help find the right carrier to customize coverage to match your law firm's specific situation and work to only quote coverage that meets your needs.
As businesses, most law firms must carry commercial auto insurance if they use any vehicles on behalf of the law firm. To check your state's requirements, search the internet for "commercial auto insurance requirements in my state." You can also use this resource provided by business.com.
A Commercial Auto Insurance policy should be carried if:
Your law firm owns, leases, or rents any vehicles
You have firm attorneys or employees who drive their vehicles on firm business
You have firm attorneys or employees who operate a firm vehicle
What does Commercial Auto Insurance typically cover?
Bodily injury liability coverage
Property damage liability coverage
Drive other car coverage
Collision coverage
Comprehensive coverage
Medical payments coverage
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
Rental car coverage
Personal injury protection (PIP)
Hired and non-owned auto insurance
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Workers' Compensation Insurance
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General Liability Insurance
Unlike professional liability, general liability insurance protects against claims of bodily injury or property damage during normal law firm operations.
Employment Practices Liability
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Crime Insurance
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Surety Bonds for Attorneys
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Commercial Auto Insurance
Commercial auto insurance provides liability and physical damage coverage for vehicles used in a law firm's business. Commercial vehicles pose more risk than personal vehicles.
Directors & Officers Liability
Directors & Officers (D & O) Insurance protects lawyers from personal losses if they are sued for serving as a director or officer of an organization.
Employed Lawyers Liability
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Frequently Asked Questions About Commercial Auto Insurance for Law Firms
A law firm should generally purchase commercial auto insurance when the firm owns title to a vehicle or has a commercial lease on a vehicle used in the business. Examples include vehicles titled to the law firm or leased in the firm’s name.
If attorneys or staff use their personally owned vehicles for firm business, the firm typically should not insure those vehicles on a commercial auto policy. Instead, the firm should add Hired and Non-Owned Auto (HNOA) coverage to its Business Owner’s Policy (BOP). HNOA can also be added to a commercial auto policy when the firm has owned or leased vehicles but also rents vehicles or allows attorneys or staff to occasionally use personal vehicles for business.
A personal auto policy is written for the individual who owns the vehicle. It may respond for that individual, subject to the policy terms, but it does not fully solve the law firm’s liability exposure.
If an attorney or employee uses a personally owned vehicle for firm business, the firm should add HNOA coverage to its BOP. HNOA helps protect the firm when it is named in a claim involving a vehicle the firm does not own.
Commercial auto insurance may cover rental vehicles if the policy includes Hired Auto coverage. This matters when attorneys or staff rent vehicles for business travel, client meetings, court appearances, or firm errands.
A firm without owned vehicles can usually address this exposure by adding HNOA to its BOP. A firm with a commercial auto policy should also consider HNOA or hired auto coverage if it rents vehicles or also allows personal vehicles to be used for firm business.
The answer depends on who owns the vehicle.
If the vehicle is titled to the law firm or commercially leased in the firm’s name, the firm should generally purchase commercial auto insurance.
If the vehicle is personally owned by the attorney, the firm generally should add Hired and Non-Owned Auto (HNOA) coverage to its BOP. The key issue is ownership of the vehicle, not simply whether the attorney drives to court, client meetings, depositions, or other work-related appointments.
Commercial auto insurance is for vehicles the law firm owns or commercially leases. It can provide liability coverage, and often physical damage coverage, for those vehicles.
Hired and Non-Owned Auto (HNOA) coverage is for vehicles the firm does not own. This includes rented vehicles and personally owned vehicles used by attorneys or staff for firm business. HNOA helps protect the firm, but it does not replace the employee’s or attorney’s personal auto insurance and does not insure their personal vehicle for physical damage.
Start with ownership.
Ask: Does the firm own title to any vehicle? Does the firm have a commercial lease on any vehicle? If yes, commercial auto insurance is generally appropriate.
Then ask: Do attorneys or staff use personal vehicles for firm business? Does the firm rent vehicles for business travel? If yes, the firm should consider HNOA coverage. HNOA can be added to a BOP for firms without owned vehicles, and it can also be added to a commercial auto policy for firms that have owned or leased vehicles plus additional rental or personal vehicle exposure.
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