Garage Keepers Insurance in Pennsylvania

Also providing garage keepers insurance to residents in Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Virginia.

Anthony Acri Insurance

What is garage keepers insurance?

Any business that assumes responsibility for a customer’s vehicle is exposed to potential risk. The business might have to pay for the repair or replacement of a customer vehicle, if one is ever damaged while in the business’s possession. One way that Pennsylvania businesses might protect against this risk is by getting garage keepers insurance.

Garage keepers insurance generally provides specialized liability coverage for customer vehicles while a business has them. The insurance mainly protects customer vehicles against damage.

What businesses in Pennsylvania need to carry garage keepers liability?

Most businesses in Pennsylvania should have garage keepers liability if they temporarily take possession of customer vehicles. This is commonly purchased when parking, towing or storing vehicles. 

As some examples, the following businesses frequently get a garage keepers policy:

• Car dealerships that operate service centers
• Independent auto repair shops
• Quick-service oil change shops
• Tow truck operators
• Law enforcement agencies that tow vehicles
• Trucking companies that use non-owned equipment
• Facilities that store cars, trucks and/or trailers
• Valet parking services 

What types of risks does garage keepers cover?

Exactly what a garage keepers policy covers is determined by that policy’s coverages, terms, conditions and exclusions. Depending on these, a policy may cover incidents like the following if they cause vehicle damage:

• Collisions involving multiple vehicles
• Other accidents involving one vehicle
• Acts of nature
• Extreme weather conditions
• Theft and vandalism
• Fire- and smoke

An insurance agent specializing in garage keepers liability can check what a particular policy would probably cover.

Do garage keepers policies cover items left in customer vehicles?

The coverage afforded by garage keepers policies is often limited to just the vehicle itself. Many of these policies don’t offer protection for items that customers might leave in their vehicles. Instead, businesses frequently have stated policies that they’re not liable for items left in customer vehicles.

In select cases, businesses might want coverage for items in customer vehicles. A luxury valet service, for instance, might want to add such coverage. If it’s needed, this is something that a specialized insurance agent may be able to help with.

Does garage keepers policies cover a business’s owned vehicles?

Garage keepers also normally doesn’t protect any vehicles that a business owns. These are instead normally covered under a traditional commercial auto insurance policy of some type.

Can garage keepers policies cover classic and exotic cars?

Garage keepers policies are available for classic, exotic and other expensive vehicles. It’s important to choose a policy that has coverages, terms and limits suitable for these vehicles, however. A knowledgeable insurance agent can help find a policy that’ll provide robust coverage for such vehicles. 

Is garage keepers liability and general liability insurance the same?

Garage keepers liability and general liability are two distinct insurance coverages, although they’re often purchased together. Garage keepers normally protects customer vehicles against damage. General liability normally protects against common accidents on company property, such as slips and falls.

How much does a garage keepers policy cost?

The cost of garage keepers policies can fluctuate based on multiple factors. Details that insurance companies look at can include:

• Average value and number of customer vehicles
• Total number of customer vehicles
• Location where customer vehicles are kept
• Any security measures in place
• Business’s recent claims activity

To find out how much coverage will cost in a particular situation, businesses should work with an independent insurance agent. An independent agent can help request and compare quotes from several insurance companies that issue these policies.

How can Pennsylvania businesses get garage keepers insurance?

If your business needs garage keepers insurance, contact the independent insurance agents at Anthony Acri Insurance Agency. We’ll work with you to assess coverage needs, and then have the expertise necessary to find you the best policy that meets those needs. We can recommend the best available policy since we’re an independent Pennsylvania insurance agency.