Which insurance protects your vehicles?

Self-employed professionals and entrepreneurs who are often on the road with commercial vehicles and cargo should select their insurance cover with care. Even though civil liability insurance for vehicles is mandatory, there are other options for those who seek peace of mind when they drive on our roads.

Civil liability (CL) insurance for vehicles

Compulsory insurance

The term ‘car insurance’ is usually understood to mean the mandatory Civil Liability (CL) vehicle insurance. Every company car, van or truck must have this cover.

What does the insurance entail?

The civil liability insurance for vehicles covers damage to third parties, including the passengers of your vehicle.

Good to know: the government drew up a legal standard contract for this policy with a few minimum conditions. Yet, there might be differences from one quote to the next, as your age, claim history and the value of the vehicle may raise or lower the calculated premium.

Fully comprehensive insurance

The compulsory insurance never compensates the damage to your own vehicle. For that, you need to take out the fully comprehensive cover. It includes all the guarantees of the so-called ‘mini comprehensive‘ (glass breakage, theft, fire, natural forces and animals) plus vandalism and ‘own damage’, for which no one is liable in theory.

Driver insurance

If you are the person who caused an accident, the compulsory vehicle civil liability insurance will not cover your own physical injuries. But a supplementary driver insurance will. Think, for example, of your loss of income if you can no longer work.

Good to know: even if the counterparty is liable, this insurance can compensate you.

Legal assistance

A car accident or traffic violation may lead to disputes. Legal assistance cover comes in handy in such situations. Initially, the insurer tries to come to an amicable settlement with the counterparty. If unsuccessful, the legal assistance insurance will provide administrative and legal assistance. For example, the court fees and your lawyer’s fees will be refunded.

Assistance and breakdown assistance

Even though the mandatory CL insurance for vehicles includes a minimum of assistance, it does not come to your help if you have a puncture, flat battery or mechanical breakdown. You should take out roadside assistance cover for that eventuality. Certain policies also cover the cost of a replacement (commercial) vehicle.

Cargo insurance

In your business activities as an entrepreneur or self-employed professional, you transport valuable cargo in your vehicle. But what if something should go wrong along the way? An accident may damage your work equipment or your finished products. And what is your recourse if the contents of your van are stolen on a parking lot? Many questions, one answer: cargo insurance. 

Conclusion

People who are on the road a lot for their business can choose from a wide range of covers. The compulsory civil liability insurance for vehicles is your first step, after which you can decide for yourself which of the optional covers best meet your needs: a (mini) comprehensive, a driver insurance policy, legal assistance, breakdown assistance and/or a cargo insurance policy.