New Hampshire had nearly 1.2 million drivers on the road in 2019. Many drive to the granite state to see large wilderness expanses and winter sports arenas. However, when driving on the road, there is always a risk of a costly auto accident.
Your New Hampshire business is at risk if you do not have an adequate commercial auto insurance policy to protect you from liability costs and vehicle damage. Don't fret. We have you covered. This article will explore the concepts and requirements you can follow to buy your commercial auto insurance.
Commercial auto insurance is a policy that protects your business from possible financial loss for using vehicles in work activities. This policy can pay for damages your vehicles inflict on other parties. It can also help cover legal costs from getting sued by a person injured by these business vehicles. Commercial auto insurance has various possible coverages to protect your vehicles from damage and help replace them if they get totaled.
A commercial auto policy must cover any vehicles your business owns used solely for work. New Hampshire requires that vehicle operators register their vehicles and carry proof of financial protection.
See the chart below to learn the risks of auto accidents in New Hampshire through illustrative statistics. This data comes from the US Department of Transportation for the year 2019.
| Registered vehicles | 1,312,342 |
|---|---|
| Licensed drivers | 1,173,944 |
| Total crashes | 33,592 |
| Accidents with serious injuries | 485 |
| Accident fatalities | 147 |
| Non-motorized vehicle serious injuries and fatalities | 38 |
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation estimates that the public road system is 16,662 miles long.
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A typical New Hampshire commercial auto insurance policy includes auto liability, uninsured motorist, and often physical damage coverage like collision or comprehensive coverage. The following sections describe these components.
Your auto liability coverage will protect you from bodily injury and property damage liabilities you might have. It helps you pay out damages from legal costs and judgments you are liable for.
As its name suggests, medical payments coverage helps you with medical payments. This policy pays medical costs for drivers and passengers in your vehicles. Medical payments coverage will pay out these benefits regardless of who is at fault in an accident.
New Hampshire requires commercial auto insurance policies to have Uninsured motorist coverage. This policy will help you recover damages another party is responsible for, but their insurance policy is insufficient to pay it. Typically this policy will cover bodily injury. However, uninsured motorist policies can also cover property damage. Some situations to use this coverage include:
You are the victim of a hit-and-run driver
Your damages exceed the coverage of the responsible parties' policy
The at-fault party doesn’t have insurance
A policy with collision insurance will protect your vehicle from collisions with other vehicles and objects. Coverage examples include:
Vehicle collisions
Hitting another object like a barrier, fence, or tree
Single-vehicle accidents where your car rolls or falls over
As the name suggests, comprehensive covers various events. It will protect your vehicle from physical damage in situations like:
Hail
Fire
Theft
Vandalism
Hitting an animal
Window and windshield damage
Your commercial auto insurance new hampshire can be further customized by adding gap coverage, medical payment coverage, auto glass coverage, and more. See some add-ons below to figure out what you want in your policy.
An auto glass policy will protect your windshield from damage. With this policy, you can repair or replace your windshield when something harms it. Comprehensive insurance includes this coverage, but auto glass lets you get windshield coverage for less.
Gap coverage is a policy for financed vehicles. If your vehicle gets totaled, you may owe more on your vehicle loan than your policy will give you. In this case, gap coverage will help you pay off your loan balance.
This policy covers the cost you pay to use temporary rental vehicles. Suppose a covered vehicle is in the repair shop after an accident. In that case, you can get a rental vehicle to help you maintain business operations.
If your car breaks down, you will want roadside assistance coverage. This policy will pay for towing, jumpstarts, changing tires, and other emergency road services.
A hired and non-auto (HNOA) policy will protect your business's leased, rented, and employee vehicles. HNOA is a helpful policy because you don’t need to own a vehicle to get it covered. However, HNOA coverage will not cover damage to those vehicles, only the liability costs and lawsuit fees.
New Hampshire does not require business vehicles to be covered by commercial auto insurance. However, it does still require that you can prove financial responsibility in the event of an accident. A commercial auto policy is one way to meet this requirement.
Your commercial auto policy must still satisfy minimum requirements to comply with New Hampshire laws if you choose it to be your form of financial responsibility. The following sections will outline the requirements you need to follow for insurance.
New Hampshire requires liability coverage for property damage and bodily injuries. If your vehicle is at fault for causing these injuries, your insurance company will pay the injured party to compensate them for their losses. New Hampshire's ratio of required coverage is 25/50/25.
| Bodily injury liability per person | Bodily injury liability per accident | Property damage liability per accident |
|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | $50,000 | $25,000 |
Your commercial auto insurance policy must have uninsured motorist coverage of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.
New Hampshire commercial auto policies must have medical payments coverage of $1,000.
Your New Hampshire commercial auto insurance policy will include a concept known as a total loss. A total loss is when the cost of the damage to repair or replace a vehicle is more than that vehicle is worth to your insurer.
An insurer figures out the value of your vehicle by using an actual cash value calculation. The actual cash value of your vehicle would be the replacement value of a vehicle minus its depreciation. Most commercial auto policies will cover the actual cash value of your vehicle. This means you will want to be aware of this value and not count on it to completely replace your vehicle if it gets totaled in an accident.
New Hampshire commercial auto insurance will typically exclude specific events from coverage. These events may include:
War: Large-scale events like war are excluded from coverage. Insurance companies exclude these events because they are difficult to factor the costs into your policy premiums.
Intentional Acts: If you or an employee uses a vehicle in a risky way that will likely lead to damage, you will not be covered. Examples include intentionally damaging the vehicle, driving while intoxicated, or using it to race.
Worker injuries: If an employee hurts themselves in a way unrelated to vehicle operation, this policy will not cover that. You would need a workers' compensation policy to cover this event.
Pollution: If you transport dangerous materials and spill them, your commercial auto insurance will not cover the damage by default. You must purchase pollution liability to protect yourself adequately.
Yes. New Hampshire is an at-fault state. This concept means that motorists found at fault for an accident can be held liable for the financial loss of other parties in an accident. In an at-fault state, injured parties are compensated by the guilty party's insurance company. This situation is different from a no-fault state.
In a no-fault state, each party is initially responsible for their own damages. Someone can only pursue legal recourse for damages after they have exhausted their no-fault or personal injury protection policy.
New Hampshire does not require businesses to have commercial auto insurance. This means you will not face a penalty if you are stopped by law enforcement. However, vehicle operators must have at least some proof of financial responsibility.
If you cannot provide proof of financial responsibility at the time of an accident, you may face a suspension of license plates, driver’s licenses, and vehicle registration. You must also pay a fee to restore your license and registration to continue operating vehicles again.
Your New Hampshire commercial auto insurance is $29 per month or $348 per year. Here’s a table showing the rates of companies we recommend:
| Company | Estimated Monthly Cost | Estimated Yearly Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Next | $29 | $348 | Best overall for New Hampshire commercial auto insurance |
| The Hartford | $34 | $408 | Learning about New Hampshire commercial auto insurance |
| CoverWallet | $32 | $384 | Comparing commercial auto insurance quotes online |
| Tivly | $36 | $432 | Comparing commercial auto insurance quotes over the phone |
| Thimble | $38 | $456 | Short-term commercial auto insurance for New Hampshire businesses |
| Hiscox | $41 | $492 | Small businesses that need commercial auto |
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Our reviews below highlight why these are the best New Hampshire commercial auto insurance companies. Read on to know their pros, cons, and average cost:
Get covered even when driving out of state
Can get quotes entirely online
Handy phone app to keep track of your commercial auto policy
None
NEXT is an online-based insurer founded in 2016. They offer excellent coverage for New Hampshire businesses and their vehicles. You can cover your vehicle from collisions and protect your business from property damage and injury liability. NEXT has an A- score from AM Best for its financial backing. It also has a B+ with the Better Business Bureau.
Best for: Best overall for New Hampshire commercial auto insurance
Average cost: $29 per month
Our rating: 10/10
AARP auto insurance program
New car replacement coverage
Accident forgiveness coverage
Some customers report slow customer service times
The Hartford is a trusted insurer that has been underwriting policies for over 200 years. They offer an AARP auto insurance program that helps you save money on policies. You can get your auto insurance quote online or through a dedicated customer service representative. The Hartford has an A- from AM Best.
Best for: Learning about New Hampshire commercial auto insurance
Average cost: $34 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Excellent selection of commercial auto policies and insurers
A simple dashboard that tracks all your business insurance
Can call or file online
Does not handle your claims
CoverWalletis an online insurance broker. It allows you to compare the commercial auto policies of many reputable companies. Seamless policy management is another perk that this company's online platform offers.
Best for: Comparing commercial auto insurance quotes online
Average cost: $32 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Top commercial auto providers like The Hartford, Progressives, and Liberty Mutual
Over 200 insurance partners to pick from
Generate multiple quotes at once
Doesn’t have a mobile app
Tivly offers commercial auto insurance on a stacked digital marketplace. Their over 200 partners are paired with 20 years of insurance expertise to deliver a high-quality insurance shopping experience. They help you take the guesswork out of buying by helping you target policies that address your needs. Tivly has an A rating from the Better Business Bureau. Call now to compare quotes over the phone.
Best for: Comparing commercial auto insurance quotes over the phone
Average cost: $36 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Purchase commercial auto insurance with the customized duration
Accredited with the Better Business Bureau
Excellent first-time buyer experience
Customer service can take some time to follow up
Thimble is an insurance broker whose customer base is 75% first-time buyers. Their app is simple and easy to use and offers a simplified user experience. Thimble offers all the standard options for your New Hampshire commercial auto insurance. This company has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
Best for: Short-term commercial auto insurance for New Hampshire businesses
Average cost: $38 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Tailor commercial auto insurance
Highly rated customer service
Discounts for bundling multiple policies
Fewer options compared to other insurers
Hiscox is a small business-focused insurer that offers a customizable insurance experience. Their agents will contact you to help you determine the coverage you need. Hiscox has been underwriting insurance for over 100 years. They have an A rating from AM Best.
Best for: Small businesses that need commercial auto
Average cost: $41 per month
Our rating: 10/10
This place is an absolute joke of a company and should be ashamed of the way they conduct business. I was hurt on the job at the end of July and it took them just shy of 7 weeks to issue out a paycheck to me. Yes the amount was back dated but still. Not many have the luxury of not receiving a paycheck for almost 2 months. To top it all off, the original adjuster marked me down for the wrong state which caused a problem from the get go, I've had 3 different adjusters now since each one can't seem to figure out the simplicity of my claim. All my paperwork which includes, my job, house, and drs visits all are from the same state and city but yet some how I have been filed under a completely different state 1500 miles away. They do not answer your phone calls or emails no matter how many you leave. I've had to escalate my frustrations to the supervisors of each of these individuals in order to even get some kind of response. I've had more communication and information given to me about my claim from the customer service representatives then the actual adjusters.......... please tell me how that works?! A serious overhaul needs to happen here in order to serve your clients the way they deserve to be taken care of. 10/10 do not recommend this company to a single soul on earth
I have never had the displeasure of working with a more incompetent and disrespectful person in my life. I’m an injured worker and the adjuster that was assigned to my case was named Carrie Furgeson. In the past 6 weeks that I’ve been injured and out of work I have only been able to get ahold of her twice, not for lack of trying. I have left countless voicemails, countless emails, and she ignores them all. When I am finally able to get ahold of her I’m greeted with terrible customer service. She is rude, she talks over me and I’m hardly able to get a word in edgewise. She spelled my name wrong on my documents even after I spelled it for her properly countless times, this caused a whole new issue with my bank. I have bill collectors from the hospital calling me demanding payment and Carrie Furgeson won’t do a single thing to help, or to get them paid. All of my documentation is in Colorado, my job is in Colorado, my address is in Colorado, all my Dr offices and appointments have been in Colorado and Carrie still managed to hold my claim because she wasn’t sure what state she needed to file it under. It’s been 6 weeks since my Injury and my company still hasn’t received the wage paperwork to fill out so they can get me my correct wages. When she’s not ignoring me she’s answering my questions with “I don’t know” well I don’t know how she got this job, because apparently she doesn’t know anything about it. She is a disgusting morose individual inside and out and I genuinely wish her the worst in all of her future endeavors. I highly recommend you don’t use this company. Please if you are a business owner and your looking into this company please don’t use them. I’m sure they have the cheapest payment and that’s why companies use them in the first place, but you will be doing your employees a grave disservice by forcing them to venture into this absolute dumpster fire of a company. I would rate 0/5 if possible but 1 was the lowest I was allowed.
Their general liability insurance purchase process is simply the best online experience I've ever had in my life!
As long as they cover your line of business, you're literally covered! best rates, best coverage, best online experience, best professionals, can't be happier that I chose them!
It really can't get any better than this... wow
Not all those who wander are lost.
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