Who Should Pay for Your Rental Car After an Accident?
Few things are more inconvenient than being without your vehicle after a car accident. Even if you leave the scene uninjured, your vehicle may not have the same fate. Your vehicle may be out of commission for weeks or even months, depending on the repairs you need.
After your accident, you still need to get around and run your normal errands, go to work, take your children to school, and the many other things you have to do. A rental car is almost an essential need during the time your car is in the repair shop, especially if your area has few public transportation options.
So, the question remains, how do you handle obtaining a rental car after an accident? Most would assume the liable party automatically pays, but things are not always that simple.
You have several options to consider. Here are the most common options.
Use Your Insurance Policy Coverage
If you are hit by a driver with no insurance, you can use your own policy to pay for your rental.
A lot of Pennsylvania drivers have the option to carry rental car reimbursement coverage on their insurance policies. If you consider the chance you could get into a car accident at any point, the rather small expense to add the coverage to your policy is worth it. The coverage should pay for a rental car after a car accident up to the limits on your individual policy.
In general, you should be able to use your rental car until you get your own car back or until you receive a check if your vehicle is totaled. You should check with your insurer about the rental car reimbursement coverage. Check on the limits, such as mileage caps or the size of the vehicle you may rent.
To deploy the rental reimbursement coverage, you first need to contact your insurance agent. Next, visit any local rental car company with your claim number and your insurance card. The rental car company will input the information and file the claim for you.
Use the Insurance of the Faulty Party
If your accident was due to another driver's negligence and he or she has insurance coverage, file the rental car with his or her insurance. If the other driver is found liable for the accident, the insurance provider will help you with the arrangements for your rental car.
You should expect to handle everything as you would if you filed on your insurance. You will need to go to the car rental company with the necessary insurance information from the liable party. The car rental company will then file the claim for you and let you rent a vehicle.
Be sure that all costs are covered before you leave with the car. Be sure you will not incur any surcharges for gasoline, mileage caps, or if you choose a vehicle the insurance does not cover. If you are offered the additional insurance for the rental car, you should check to see if the coverage is allowed on the insured's policy. If not, you may have to pay out of pocket.
Pay Yourself and Sue for Reimbursement
If you are unable to get rental car coverage from your insurance or the insurance of the liable party, the only other option is to pay for the rental car yourself. This can happen if there is no clear party at fault and you do not have rental car reimbursement through your own insurance. This also another option when the liable party has no insurance
However, if the other driver is liable for the accident, or is found liable later, you and your attorney can file a lawsuit and add in the rental car charges in addition to your other damages.
For more information, please contact us at Clearfield & Associates.