Can I get a rental car if I have an accident?
After being involved in an auto accident, many people are left without transportation. If the damage is bad enough, your car may be completely out of service until foxed by a repair or body shop. Most individuals and families don't have an extra car around to get back and forth to work while the damage is being fixed. And, as we have previously discussed (here and here), if the damage is being handled by the other driver's insurance company, it may be a while before your car gets fixed. In any event, you may be entitled to the use of a rental car while your vehicle is being fixed.
As with the damage to your car, you may have two options on which company (yours or the other driver's) will cover the rental car cost. You may have a portion of your own insurance policy that will cover a rental car in this situation. However, this coverage is typically not included on most insurance policies and you likely only have it if you specifically asked for it at the time you purchased your policy. A quick check with your insurance agent can confirm whether you have this coverage.
If you do not, you must use the other driver's insurance coverage to get the rental car. There are several strict rules that insurance companies for the other driver will usually impose on you:
1) You will not be driving around in a Cadillac until your car is fixed. The other insurance company usually ahs a pre-negotiated rate with the rental company that covers only a compact or low-end vehicle. The usually rate is $25 per day.
2) You will only get the use of the rental from the date of the accident until the insurance company pays the body shop for the repairs or your car is determined to be a total loss and an offer is made on your damage. This usually means that there are a couple of days on either end that you will not have the use of the rental.
These restrictions may not seem fair, but, unfortunately, the only recourse is to file a pre-mature and often totally unnecessary lawsuit against the other driver. If you have special physical limitations that require a different type of vehicle, you while probably be able to get the insurance company to agree to that extra cost. However, for the most part you are stuck with what the insurance company offers. Still, it’s good to know that the availability of a rental car while your car is being fixed is there.
If you would like more information on how to obtain a rental vehicle while you car is being fixed following an auto accident, you can contact the automobile accident and injury attorneys at Bahe Cook Cantley & Jones PLC.
