Insuring a rental car in the US

We're traveling to Michigan on Friday and will be renting a car for ten days. I'm wondering if I should purchase any insurance coverage either from the rental company or from some other source here. We don't own a car here and so have no kind of car insurance here. We have travel insurance, but it clearly states that it won't cover collision or personal liability (i.e. injury to other persons) from operating a vehicle. Presumably it would cover us if we're hurt. Michigan has a no-fault auto insurance system. I've read that the rental company's insurance is full of loopholes, and it is certainly expensive. I've also read that most VISA cards provide some kind of insurance if you pay with the card, though I've not asked my bank yet.

Any experience or advice will be greatly appreciated.

Ron

I would definitely get the rental company's insurance, unless you have any other options, which I can't think what they'd be.  The credit card insurance isn't very comprehensive. Maybe someone else will chime in.

If you still have a permanent residence of some sort in the US, you could try this:

http://www.accessamerica.com/AA/SelectAPlan.aspx?001000518&Product=001000227

Unfortunately, I really don't so last time I had to get the expensive car insurance through the rental company. 

I did some internet research to see if there was anything else out there, and I found some stuff for Europe I think it was (although our car insurance, I believe, covers us in a number of EU countries)...but I didn't come up with anything for the US.

The credit card insurance isn't very comprehensive.

Credit cards usually offer collision and liabilty though. Usually it'll provide secondary insurance, meaning you pay the rental car company and then the credit card pays you which certainly damn annoying if you happen to make use of it, but considering rental car insurance can run you like 50% of your base rental, it might be worthwhile.

Obviously, I am not an expert, and people should always carefully read the terms and conditions of their credit card coverage!

But if you're gonna do that, be prepared to crawl all over the car surface for half an hour prior to taking it out of the lot and after bringing it in, documenting every scratch and dent and thumbprint, for as sure as sun rises, if you don't buy comprehensive from them, the car company is try to stick you with some kind of bogus repair charge!

Thanks, Mrs Robinson - it looks like a potential option. I have a driver's license with a Mass. address - not sure if that counts or not. And I have relatives in Michigan - I suppose I could use their addresses.

I just found this related link about coverage from VISA, which seems to be pretty good:

http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/rental-car-insurance-policies-1273.php

I've rented cars fairly often and almost always have refused coverage, and I've never had one try to get me to pay for any damage.

This is a summary of Michigan's no-fault system, which implies to me that the rental company is responsible for having liability coverage on all the cars they own:

http://www.autoinsurancetips.com/michigan-auto-insurance