“I was in a car accident in a rental car: what now?”

Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney

Getting in an accident in your own car can result in a complicated process of paperwork and legalities, especially if you decide to seek financial compensation for any injuries. However, being in an accident while driving a rental vehicle can feel like an even bigger hassle given the extra party involved (the rental company) and the time away from your vacation to obtain a new rental or have yours fixed.

First of all, you should try and relax after such an accident

Collisions happen, even on vacation, and rental agencies know this

Rental companies include such contingencies in the rental agreement, which is why it is good to review the paperwork they give you upon obtaining your rental vehicle to learn about how much you can be covered in the event of an accident.

“Ok, so what do I do after an accident in a rental vehicle?”

To simplify the matter so you can get back to enjoying your vacation, here are some steps to take in the immediate aftermath of a rental vehicle accident.

1. Determine if you or anyone else in your vehicle is injured and move your vehicle off the road if it is safe.
2. Inspect your vehicle (after pulling off the road) and inquire into the status of the other driver.
3. Make sure your accident has all the proper documentation by calling the police to the scene of the accident. Check the paperwork given to you by the rental company and give them a call asking what other documentation they need. Be prepared to fill out some paperwork when you eventually return to the rental company. Taking photographs of all vehicles involved in the accident, as well as injuries you sustained, and the scene of the accident can also go a long way towards helping you case.
4. Next, you should reach out to your own insurance company. They will typically include rental vehicle coverage in your policy in the event of an accident. Either way, your car insurance will be the policy which will govern how you will be covered in a rental vehicle. As with the rental company, see what information your insurance agent needs to reduce the hassle of resolving the incident as much as possible.
5. If your vehicle needs to be towed, make sure you get specific information from the towing company about where and how much it will cost to store your vehicle. This should be communicated to the rental agency, as they may have a preferred body shop they typically use.
6. Hold on to any and all receipts, as it can be difficult to establish what your policy should cover if you cannot prove what was paid for already.

It can be understandably tricky to interact with police, the rental company, your insurer, and the other motorist(s) all at once. It makes sense in the middle of this chaos to remember to contact our personal injury attorneys in Los Angeles for help. As soon as you call our office, we can get to work making sure you are taking the right steps in order to protect your legal rights.

None of the above-mentioned parties is specifically looking out for your best interests, but our Los Angeles car accident attorney has considerable experience in handling rental car accidents for those not at fault and recovering the financial damages you need.

Call our firm today to learn more about your rights: (888) 952-2952!