The trauma of being involved in an accident and having to deal with lots of injuries all over your body can really be stressful especially if it is the first time that you are being involved in a car accident. However, the case becomes more challenging when you do not know who is responsible for rental car in an accident if your vehicle is being repaired or has been declared to be a total loss. This whole process can be demanding for anybody and an average car accident would take a car up to two weeks for it to be repaired in a body shop.
It can also cost several hundreds of dollars for one to replace a car but if you were involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault then your rental car should be paid for and here are some of the facts that you need to know about who bears responsibility for your rental car while yours is being repaired or has been totaled.
Who Is Responsible For Rental Car In An Accident
If the accident was as a result of the negligence of the other driver then and the driver has proper auto insurance then the insurance company of the at fault driver would be responsible for the rental car that you need. They should be able to provide you with a rental car within a reasonable period of time so what you must do is for you to contact the insurance company of the at fault driver as soon as possible to start up process of getting a rental car. This process is always speedy so renting the car and getting reimbursed later is still okay too.
You should also try to find out if the insurance company has specific rental car companies that it operates with and if they would like you to choose from any. One thing that we want you to note is that you cannot opt for a luxury sedan vehicle as a rental car when what you drive is an economy vehicle. This simply means that you can only rent a vehicle that is similar to what you were driving before the accident and insurance companies also have the ability to place dollar limits per accident and also per day.
It is important that you rent a reasonable vehicle that the insurance company would be able to cover its cost and you should take this very serious especially if your vehicle would take a lot of time to get repaired at the body or repair shop. You should also try to find out if your insurance policy would cover up for damage to rental cars before going ahead to purchase a collision damage waiver from the car rental company. If the insurance company does not approve your coverage then they should give you reasons in writing while they refused.
If The Other Driver Doesn’t Have Insurance
In some cases, the at fault driver might not have insurance or maybe the at fault driver has inadequate insurance and this tells you that you can no longer be covered under the at fault driver’s insurance policy. You can use rental reimbursement coverage instead if you have that in your insurance coverage. As an alternative, if your insurance policy has underinsured motorist coverage or uninsured motorist coverage with property damage then paying for rental cars and repairs can also be covered by that.
In some cases, drivers would love to save some money and decline this type of coverage but since lots of drivers today do no have insurance, such type of coverage would save you a lot of money if you get involved in a car accident. If the at fault driver doesn’t have insurance and your own insurance doesn’t have any of the insurance coverage listed above then you will have no choice than to pay for the rental car yourself. There are cases where you might have an alternative option but it is better to consult with an attorney first.
Consulting With An Attorney
If you still have some questions about rental car coverage after being involved in an accident or if an insurance company has tried denying you your rental car claims then you should go ahead and consult with an attorney. Most of these attorneys are concerned with helping you get a favorable settlement so they end up getting paid when a favorable achievement is settled for you.
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