Maison Law represents people hurt in rental car accidents due to another driver’s mistake. Our California car accident lawyers aggressively seek compensation for our clients from reckless drivers and, in some cases, a rental car company like Enterprise Rental Car. 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 Enterprise without the help of a lawyer. But when you are seriously injured in a collision and another motorist is to blame, a California Enterprise rental car accident lawyer may prove to be an important protection. A serious injury might involve a broken bone, a Traumatic Brain Injury, or a neck or back injury.
When your medical bills run high, insurance companies and insurers who provide protection through rental agreements can look for ways to get out of supporting you. They can try to blame you for an accident you didn’t cause. They may claim that your injuries are far less serious than your doctor says they are. When a large rental car company is involved, the business chain can also afford teams of lawyers to attack your case.
Your Maison Law Lawyer is your shield against this type of treatment. Your legal representative gathers the evidence necessary to prevent insurers from escaping responsibility. Then your attorney demands the maximum in support available from all parties involved.
Rental Car Accident Dangers
Whether you’re in your own car or in a rental car, there are hazards on California freeways and boulevards no matter where you travel. There will always be motorists staring at cell phones and traveling aggressively near you in any city or county.
Perhaps drivers are in a rental car after causing an accident and damaging their own vehicles. Other rental car drivers may be visiting the area. They may not be familiar with local roads. These and other circumstances could make rental car drivers more likely to cause accidents. And then sometimes rental car drivers are forced into crashes, due to another driver’s scary mistake.
Some accidents involving rental car companies will be resolved much like any other accident. Many rental car drivers choose to rely on their own car insurance provider to protect them as they travel around in an Enterprise car or an SUV. But when a rental car company and third-party insurance providers get involved, victims can be forced to protect themselves. They might end up paying for an accident and injuries they weren’t to blame for.
It’s when serious injuries are involved and multiple insurance adjusters are working to limit the value of your injury claim, that a skilled California rental car accident lawyer may be a necessary protection. When a bad injury is involved, getting the support to be able to afford the best care available for as long as necessary is critical to a full recovery.
Who Pays After a Rental Car Accident?
An accident involving a rental car can lead to many questions about who is financially responsible for vehicle repairs. Victims suffering from serious injuries will also want to know who is accountable for the medical bills that arise.
These are some of the most common situations in accidents involving rental vehicles:
Accidents Caused by Other Drivers
In an accident caused by another driver, your accident would be resolved in much the same way as a normal accident. The at-fault driver’s insurance provider is liable for all damages. You would seek damages from the driver’s insurer if you were injured. Enterprise would attempt to get money from the insurer to repair its vehicle so the car can continue to be rented out and make money for the company. Beware – Even if you aren’t at fault for the accident, car rental chains can still make you pay for the damages and force you to seek reimbursement from the guilty driver. They’ll claim “loss of use” and want you to reimburse the company for every day they can’t rent out the car for profit.
Damage to Your Rental Car – If you cause damage to your rental car or strike another driver, there are several insurance options that may be in play. Your own car insurance could cover you as it would in a crash involving your own vehicle. Keep in mind that you may have to pay towards a large deductible before your coverage kicks in.
If you paid with a credit card, your creditor may offer some property damage protection. The card may cover any damage to the rental car. You might have also bought additional accident insurance through Enterprise or a 3rd party rental car insurer. Depending on the coverage you selected and paid for, the damage to the vehicles involved might be covered.
Suffering an Injury in a Rental Car Accident –
If you are seriously injured in an accident that’s your fault, you or another victim may have suffered serious physical harm. Your own auto insurer might cover the costs of recovery as they would in a regular accident. It’s important to check to see what your insurer will cover while you are behind the wheel of a rental car. The rental car coverage provided by the credit card you paid with usually wouldn’t cover the cost of medical bills. However, this coverage usually doesn’t help with paying injury costs for you or someone you struck. Depending on the coverage you selected and paid for through Enterprise, the injuries stemming from an accident for you or someone in another car may or may not be covered.
Accident Caused by Enterprise – Your California Enterprise Rental Car Accident Lawyer also investigates whether the company’s mistake may have led to your crash. Enterprise is responsible for maintaining its fleet of vehicles and making sure they are safe to drive. A brake problem, a tire blowout, or any other mechanical failure that led to a collision would be the rental car business’ responsibility. A skilled lawyer could help you prove the company was liable for your damages and injuries.
What To Do After an Enterprise Rental Car Accident?
After an accident, once your injuries have been treated and CHP has responded, you’ll want to notify Enterprise of what happened. Do everything Enterprise asks of you to document what happened. This gives Enterprise fewer excuses to try to deny your accident claim.
The Enterprise website lists these steps to follow:
- Call 911 or call the local authorities for assistance and file a police report.
- Call Roadside Assistance at 1-800-307-6666, available 24 hours a day, to report the incident after authorities have been engaged.
- Roadside Assistance will file a damage report and set up tow services for the damaged vehicle if it is no longer drivable.
Those are some of Enterprise’s requirements after a crash. However, there are a few other steps to take to make sure you have the evidence needed to prove you weren’t at fault for your accident:
- Take photos of the scene. Show the damage to cars. Show any visible injuries.
- Get contact information from witnesses.
- Contact your insurance provider and alert them of the accident.
- If you rented the car for a business trip, you should contact your employer to see what insurance company you’ll need to inform.
- Go see your own doctor in the days that follow, even if you’ve already been to the emergency room. Get checked out and follow your doctor’s orders.
- Contact a Maison Law attorney. Take advantage of a free consultation to see if you might need some legal support to make sure you secure what’s fair from Enterprise and insurance companies. Act quickly, because evidence can disappear, surveillance video can be erased, and witnesses can become hard to find if you wait too long.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of things can I be compensated for?
The medical bills you have now and the estimates on care you may need in the future should be fully compensated. The paychecks you lose while missing work due to an injury should be reimbursed. You must also seek support for the physical pain and emotional trauma you endure. The repairs for the car you were in should be paid.
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 waiting can hurt your case. You should turn your case over to a skilled lawyer as soon as possible so that valuable evidence isn’t lost. Surveillance footage might end up erased and
What if I can’t afford to pay a car accident lawyer?
You can still afford the protection of a Maison Law attorney. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the insurance settlement check you receive from an insurance company or Enterprise.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a California Enterprise Rental Car Accident Lawyer
It’s a good idea to speak with a legal professional anytime you are seriously hurt in a car accident and someone else was to blame. Contact Maison Law to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with an actual California rental car accident lawyer. 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.
