AmGUARD Auto Insurance Review (2023)

What You Should Know About Amguard

AmGUARD Insurance is a member of the Guard Insurance Group. Founded in 1982 by Judd and Susan Shoval, the Guard Insurance Group is headquartered at P.O. Box A-H Wilkes Barre, PA 18730. AmGUARD offers many types of insurance for small to medium-sized businesses.

Judd and Susan Shoval were both commercial business insurance agents when they decided to start their own company. They decided to focus on small to medium-sized businesses, feeling that they were underserved by the mainstream insurance community.

Today, the Guard Insurance Group is made up of four subsidiaries: AmGUARD, Eastguard, Westguard Insurance Company, and Norguard. In its short 38-year-history, The Guard Insurance Group has become a significant business insurance provider throughout the United States.

Coverage options from the Guard Insurance Group include liability coverage, personal injury protection, medical payments coverage, collision and comprehensive coverage, car rental, travel expenses, and emergency road service coverage.

Avigdor Kaplan has been serving as the Chairman of the Board since 2007. As Chairman of the Board, Kaplan helps to plan the business and the future of the Guard Insurance Group as well as all of its subsidiaries. Judd Shoval, one of the business’ original founders in 1982, is still very influential in the company. As of today, he still acts as Vice-Chairman of the company.

Sy Foguel is the current Chief Executive Officers and President of the Guard Insurance Group. As the acting President and Chief Executive Officer, Foguel oversees all of the long-term goals and planning of the company.

Now that we know a little more about the company, let’s find out AmGUARD’s availability by state.

What is AmGUARD’s availability by state?

As stated, AmGUARD offers many types of coverage for small to medium-sized businesses. These business insurance options include worker’s compensation coverage, business owners’ policy insurance, commercial auto coverage, and umbrella and excess coverage.

This next table shows the states in which AmGUARD currently writes workers’ compensation policies.

The AmGUARD worker’s compensation policy offers options like flexible pricing and consolidated billing.

The AmGUARD business auto policies are available in South Carolina, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. This policy is specially designed for business vehicles that have a value of $75,000 or less.

You may be asking, “When do you need business auto insurance?” Other businesses’ auto vehicle limits are a maximum weight of 45,000 pounds and can only travel up to a radius of no more than 200 miles.

What Auto Insurance Ratings Has AmGUARD Received?

Berkshire Insurance Group reviews match AmGUARD, meaning that AmGUARD has a Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of aa-.

This rating also applies to WestGUARD Insurance Company, EastGUARD Insurance Company, NorGUARD Insurance Company, and AZGUARD Insurance Company.

Amguard Insurance Coverage Options

It is just as important to protect the vehicles you use for your business, as it is to protect your business itself. The legal liability that can come with an auto accident of an uninsured vehicle can be enough to ruin an entire business.

Business auto insurance offers many types of coverage options for both small and large businesses.

These coverage options include liability coverage, personal injury protection, medical payments coverage, collision and comprehensive coverage, car rental and travel expenses, emergency road service coverage, coverage for uninsured and underinsured motorists, loss of earnings coverage, and coverage for death, dismemberment, and loss of sight.

Up first, liability coverage. Liability coverage tends to be divided into two separate categories. These two categories are bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage.

Here is a video on Liability Coverage to help explain it further.

Bodily injury liability provides coverage for medical expenses, lost wages and any other special damages like pain and suffering when you are involved in an auto accident that you are legally responsible for. While bodily injury liability insurance covers any personal injury, property damage liability insurance covers any property that is damaged in an accident you are responsible for.

This next table shows the average rates for Liability Coverage in each state.

Let’s move on to Personal Injury Protection, or PIP for short. PIP will pay for any necessary medical expenses that are a result of an auto accident. This should answer the question “Does car insurance pay for medical bills?” Personal Injury Protection may also cover the costs of rehabilitation, funeral expenses, lost earnings, and replacement of services like childcare.

Here is a video further explaining Personal Injury Protection.

Collision insurance provides coverage for your automobile when it rolls over or is in a collision with another vehicle or object. This next video will further explain collision coverage.

Here is a table showing the averages for collision in each state.

Comprehensive coverage covers damage to a vehicle when it is damaged by something other than a collision. These possibilities include theft, vandalism, hail, fire, wind, and flooding, as well as any damage caused by hitting an animal.

You are protected in a vehicle besides your own only if you are renting a car or borrowing a car to act as a temporary substitute for your own vehicle. This should answer the question, “Does my fully comprehensive insurance cover driving any car?”

This next video will further explain comprehensive coverage.

Here are the state averages for comprehensive coverage.

Finally, AmGUARD offers uninsured and underinsured coverage. Uninsured/underinsured coverage is the best way to protect you from drivers that either do not have or do not have enough auto insurance. If you have an auto accident with such a driver and the accident is their fault, your insurance will cover your costs when theirs does not. Please refer to the following link to find out what to do after a car accident.

This video further details these two forms of coverage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSEQmmlPMuQ&t=26s

Let’s take a look at AmGUARD’s bundling options, if any.

What are AmGUARD’s bundling options?

Berkshire Hathaway GUARD’s webpage states that they offer a Businessowner’s Policy (BOP) that exists to make the process of buying insurance more simplistic. This plan bundles traditional property coverage and liability protection with the option for more “Add-Ons”. They claim that it is tailored to fit the needs of their customers.

What the website doesn’t make clear is what subsidiaries of Berkshire Hathaway offer this Businessowner’s Policy. However, since it is eponymously named as coverage for business owners and AmGUARD serves medium-sized businesses, it is logical that they offer it.

Amguard Discounts Available

The most straightforward information to be found on available discounts comes from Assistant Vice President of Marketing Elizabeth Hartman, who states, “We can provide a great service to agents. Our product is competitively priced with discounts available when two or more lines are purchased as well as additional discounts based on unique business characteristics.”

Reading into this, it is obvious that the company offers a discount for holding multiple coverages under the same policy. The latter portion is more vague. Should you speak with an AmGUARD agent, you will want to inquire as to what discounts are available for your particular type of business.

What programs are available from AmGUARD?

Berkshire Hathaway GUARD lists what they call “Program Clients”. These are industries with hazards specific to them that warrant special consideration.

They are the following:

• Accountants
• Attorneys
• Auto Dealer Associations
• Bowling Centers
• Chambers of Commerce
• Hotel Franchises
• Municipalities
• Pharmacy Associations
• Restaurant Chains
• Retail Associations
• Tow Trucks

Should you be in one of these industries, further inquire with your AmGUARD agent about what specialized programs they can offer you.

Can You Cancel Your AmGUARD Car Insurance Policy?

While there is not a tab on their webpage for cancellations, there are numerous ways to access the site as a policyholder.

Is there a cancellation fee?

There is not a cancellation fee listed, but it is not explicitly stated that there is not a cancellation fee.

Is there a refund?

Like a potential cancellation fee, there is no information to suggest that a refund option exists or doesn’t exist.

How do you cancel?

AmGUARD’s webpage has a Customer Center where policyholders can submit their personal information

• Name
• Title
• Phone Number
• Email
• Policy or Claim Number
• Agent’s Name

A policyholder can also access the Agency Service Center Log-in by entering your User Code and Password.

When can I cancel?

There is no timeline established on their webpage for cancellations.

How Do You Make an AmGUARD Auto Insurance Claim?

Berkshire Hathaway GUARD’s webpage has a tab for claims submission should you be a policyholder with them or a subsidiary. There is also a phone number (1-888-639-2567) and fax number (1-570-825-0611).

AmGUARD Insurance’s “Make a Payment” page also requires policyholders to log-in. Upon doing so, one may possibly be allowed to cancel their policy after submitting their information.

Let’s discuss ratings for AmGUARD auto insurance.