Can I Get A Car Rental If I’m In An Accident?

The world of personal injury is surprisingly vast. Many factors you’d never even think of suddenly become relevant, like whether your or the other driver’s insurance will give you a rental car if you’re in a car accident.

Can I Get A Car Rental If I’m In An Accident?

The short answer is yes.

If your car is damaged in a motor vehicle accident, you may be entitled to rental coverage while it gets fixed.

How To Get A Rental Car

If you believe the other driver caused the accident, call the police so they can make a report you can use to justify your claim. Take lots of photos of the accident and ask the other driver for their contact and insurance information. Then call the company to file a claim and see if they’ll provide a rental car while yours is under construction.

Hopefully you can get your car rental right away, though it’s possible you’ll have to front the cost and then submit it for reimbursement later since this process can take time.

You might also want to consider renting a car through your own insurance company and then seeking reimbursement from the other driver’s insurance later. Ask your agent if you have rental reimbursement. If your policy does not include rental reimbursement, you’ll have to pay for the rental yourself and seek out your own reimbursement.

If the accident was your fault, your rental fees won’t be covered unless you have optional rental reimbursement coverage. If you do, call your insurance company and file a claim as soon as possible.

It’s important to realize that many insurance companies delay this process intentionally, hoping you might forget about the whole thing altogether. This is why it’s important to clearly and firmly communicate, following up often and stating your expectations.

Benefits Of Having Rental Coverage

We all know that car repairs can leave us without a car longer than expected, or even possible. A rental car helps bypass these difficulties, with countless customers relying on rental insurance to help after an accident. What’s even more interesting is that, according to a recent survey, 70 percent of people believe they have this coverage when this is not at all the case.

Most major auto insurance companies offer rental insurance, and there are many options. It’s possible to add rental coverage to your plan at any time, and an entire year’s worth of coverage usually costs approximately the same amount as renting a car for one day.

Remember: rental reimbursement can sometimes be referred to as loss of use or rental coverage, but it means the same thing. Rental reimbursement coverage is designed to cover the cost of a rental car when part of a covered auto insurance claim. Policies vary by insurance company and state.

Need to hire personal injury lawyer or have questions about your personal injury case? Contact us and we’ll be glad to go over all your concerns.