Maison Law represents people who are hurt in rental car accidents due to another driver’s mistake. Our Santa Barbara car accident 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.
How Do I Know If I Need a Lawyer After My Rental Car Accident?
If your rental car accident involves only property damage, you should be able to reach a fair agreement with your car insurer 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 Santa Barbara rental car accident lawyer may prove to be a valuable 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 question how bad your injuries are. 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.
Rental Car Accident Dangers
Local residents traveling busy routes like Highway 1 or State Street will see plenty of dangerous moves and close calls caused by careless drivers. Some motorists will be in rental cars. Tourists may hit town and rent a car for family vacation travel. They may have been in a previous accident and been provided a rental car until their own vehicle gets fixed.
People in rental cars, being a little more reckless than they would be in their own vehicles, could smash into you at an intersection. You may be in a rental SUV when you are struck by another driver who is staring at a text message.
Unfortunately, there may be several insurance providers involved in these accidents. And there’ll be more opportunities for car insurance adjusters to short-change victims and leave them paying for their own care.
A Maison Law representative demands the full benefits available for clients. A skilled lawyer protects victims from unhelpful rental car companies that are only concerned with getting their vehicles fixed and back on the road.
Who Is Responsible for My Santa Barbara Rental Car Accident?
In some instances, a collision 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 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 Santa Barbara 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 an Accident in a Rental Car?
Rental car chains like Hertz or Budget are large, nationwide companies. If you seek compensation from a rental car company or their insurers, these companies can afford to hire corporate lawyers. These lawyers will be trying to discredit you and your injury. They look for any way possible to point the finger of blame at anyone else but their bosses.
It’s critical to secure as much evidence as possible to fight back against any attempt by insurance companies to change the facts. An accident can leave you in shock, but if you are physically able, you should act to gather as much evidence as possible on the scene.
Call 911. If you or someone else is hurt, request an ambulance. Then, if it’s safe and you are strong enough try to collect as many details on the scene as possible:
- Allow EMTs to check out every pain you experience. If you must leave for the emergency room, ask someone with you or a witness to gather evidence for you.
- Tell Santa Barbara Police or the California Highway Patrol everything you saw leading up to the accident.
- Take cell phone pictures and video. Show the damage to cars, traffic signs, and debris left behind. Show your injuries if they are visible.
- Get contact information from witnesses.
- Get driver’s license and insurance information from other drivers.
- Alert the Rental Car Company as Soon as Possible. You might find a sticker inside your rental car that contains a phone number to call in an emergency. The rental car company will probably want to fill out an accident report of its own. Do everything the rental car company asks you to do.
- Alert Your Own Car Insurance Provider. Just like if you were in your own car, you’d want to inform your insurer about your accident.
- See your doctor. The shock of being in a car accident can hide the pain from injuries. You may not really know how badly you are hurt until a day later. Have your physician examine all the discomfort you feel. Save your medical invoices.
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 witnesses might disappear.
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 a car insurance company or a rental car insurer.
Contact a Santa Barbara Rental Car Accident Attorney
Contact Maison Law to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with an actual Santa Barbara 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. These shady practices are meant to limit the money you receive. Avoiding these pitfalls will be key to earning what’s fair for your car accident injury claim.
