Maison Law represents people who are hurt in rental car accidents due to another driver’s mistake. Our Delano personal injury lawyers aggressively seek compensation for our clients from reckless drivers and, in some cases, rental car companies. Please contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation for all local injury victims. It’s a no-risk opportunity to find out what your injury may be worth and how to hold insurance companies fully responsible for recovery costs.
When Should I Contact a Rental Car Accident Lawyer?
If your rental car accident involves only property damage, you should be able to reach a fair agreement with your car insurance company and the rental car company without the help of a lawyer. But when you are seriously injured in a collision and another motorist is to blame, a Delano rental car accident lawyer may prove to be an important protection.
Insurance companies and insurers who provide protection through rental agreements will look for ways to avoid having to provide support. They can try to blame you for an accident you didn’t cause or try to limit the support you receive. Your lawyer fully investigates your case and uses the evidence to force insurers to accept responsibility. Then your Maison Law representative demands the maximum in support available for you and your family.
Who Is Responsible for an Accident Involving a Rental Car Accident?
After a scary collision involving a rental car, victims may wonder whose insurance would be liable for damages and injuries. Are rental car drivers covered? What if you are struck by someone in a rental car? Do they have to have auto insurance?
These accidents can happen on any road in Delano including busy routes like Cecil Avenue and Highway 99 and leave you with lots of questions.
In some cases, an accident involving a rental car would be resolved much like an accident involving two personal vehicles. Many people who rent cars rely on their normal car insurance to cover them if an accident occurs.
But there are other insurance options that may be purchased or that are included as perks with certain credit cards that can play a role in how an accident is resolved.
These are just some of the insurance choices that could affect how you receive accident compensation:
- Another Driver’s Insurance Policy — If another driver strikes you while you are behind the wheel of a rental car, the driver’s auto insurance provider should be paying for the damage. This would also be true if the other driver is in a rental car and hits your family vehicle. The at-fault driver’s insurance should apply. The other driver’s insurance must cover the cost of repairing or replacing a rental car. The policy should also help you pay your medical bills and replace the income you lose while healing.
- Your Car Insurance — If you caused damage to your rental car, your car insurance may cover the damages. The rental car company would want to repair or replace the car before they lost a lot of profit while the car was unable to be rented out. Many car insurance companies cover policyholders when they drive a rental car for personal use. It’s important to ask what your policy will cover before you sign a rental agreement. This gives you the chance to purchase additional coverage if necessary. Unfortunately, the support would likely come after you’ve had to pay a large deductible.
- Credit Card Coverage – Some credit cards provide accident protection when you charge a rental car. These protections usually repair or replace your rental car up to a certain limit. They might also cover vehicles that have been stolen or vandalized. Credit card protection may not cover the damage to another vehicle or the cost of injury support.
- Your Car Rental Car Coverage – Rental car companies like Enterprise offer many levels of insurance you can add on when you rent your car. There are also 3rd party rental car insurance providers who offer policies. Some cover any damage to a rental car and the damage to another vehicle. Other policies provide compensation to you and any other injured victims. Beware: This coverage may also come with a large deductible you must pay before coverage kicks in for the rest.
- The Rental Car Company – If a rental car company somehow contributed to your accident, your lawyer would demand full compensation for your damages. A rental car business may have given you a car with faulty tires or worn brakes. They may not have warned you of potential dangers in the area. These and other circumstances might leave a rental car company liable for your damages and injuries.
One big advantage of having a skilled Delano car accident lawyer handling your case is that your attorney identifies every party that may owe you support after a crash. The other driver, a rental car company, and even your own car insurance provider could be required to help you recover.
The more injury claims you can file, the better the chance that all of your hardships will get covered. It reduces the chance that you’ll be stuck paying recovery bills from an accident you didn’t cause.
What Should I Do After a Rental Car Accident?
In the wake of a scary traffic collision, you may be in pain and in some shock. If you are hurt call for an ambulance immediately. Otherwise, once the scene is secure, try to gather as much evidence as possible. You’ll want this proof when to make sure insurance companies and rental car companies can’t change the facts of what happened.
Take photos of the vehicles involved, and clearly outline the damage. Show traffic signs and lane markings that relate to what happened. Get pictures of any visible injuries and damage to your clothing. Get contact information from witnesses. If an officer doesn’t provide it, ask the other motorists for their driver’s license and insurance information.
You’ll also want to alert the car rental company as soon as possible. They’ll have instructions for you. You should follow them exactly so they can use your actions as a reason to deny your accident claim. You should also alert your own car insurance provider when you can.
Compensation Available for Victims After a Rental Car Accident
Your lawyer will work with you to create a complete list of every hardship you and your family endured after the accident. This support you receive in a settlement check must cover your current damages and any care that could be necessary in the years ahead.
In some cases, your lawyer would be filing claims against more than one insurance company for your benefit.
Your Maison Law attorney would demand support for a few things you may not have known could earn you additional support on a car accident settlement check:
- Hospital and medical expenses.
- Estimates for the support you could need over a lifetime after suffering a permanent physical disability.
- Travel costs as you may have to visit doctors out of the area and travel to appointments while you are on crutches or in a wheelchair.
- Support for the emotional trauma you are left with. Anxiety and PTSD symptoms you experience due to the trauma of a car crash. The depression you face during a long and difficult injury rehabilitation also factors in.
- Support for the physical pain you endure and the chronic pain that may be present in the years to come.
- Past and future lost income while you miss work.
- Damage or destruction of personal property.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I’m struck by an uninsured driver?
You may still be able to seek support. Your car rental insurance or your own insurer may provide uninsured motorist coverage.
How long can I wait to file a car accident claim in California?
Act quickly. You are granted up to two years to file an injury claim, but in that time evidence can disappear, surveillance footage can be erased, and witnesses may end up moving away. Allow a Maison Law lawyer to start an investigation as soon as possible.
What if I can’t afford to pay a rental car accident lawyer?
You can still afford the protection of a Maison Law attorney after getting injured in an accident. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the insurance settlement check you receive.
Contact a Delano Rental Car Accident Lawyer
Contact Maison Law to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with an actual Delano rental car accident lawyer. We have a long history of helping Kern County accident victims demand fair treatment and secure the money they need to rebuild their lives.
We want to hear what happened to you. We’re going to answer your questions and make sure you are fully aware of the insurance tactics you’ll face. Avoiding these pitfalls will be key to earning what’s fair for your car accident injury claim.
