Act of God

In car rental, an act of God is an event outside human control that may damage a rental car. Such events are sudden natural disasters—floods, hurricanes, earthquakes—for example.

An act of God is mostly used as a legal term for insurance purposes.

A standard rental deal does not always cover damage caused to the rental car by an act of God. To protect your rental car against such damages, you may have to purchase a more comprehensive insurance package.

Synonym(s):
  • Force majeure
Example sentence(s):
  • A fire caused by a lightning strike is usually considered an act of God.
  • A fire caused by a faulty household appliance in your home is usually not considered an act of God.