What To Do If You Have an Accident in a Rental Car – AutoSlash

The end thing you need on vacation is a car accident, and particularly not in a rental car. Before you drive away from the lease company lot, arm yourself with the lowdown on what to do if the worst happens.

6 Steps to Take If You Have an Accident in a Rental Car

Assess the situation

first, make sure that everyone is safe and that no matchless is hurt. Call 911 immediately if person is injured. If necessary, move to a safe location. Contact the police to report the incident .

Gather evidence and information

Next, switch over contact and policy information with other drivers and injured parties. Ask the responding patrol officeholder for a copy of the accident report. Get the policeman ’ south name, badge number, contact information and the accident case count. Don ’ thymine forget to take multiple pictures of the damage and of the setting of the crash .
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Call your rental company

Use the company ’ south hand brake telephone number to report the accident involving your rental. Find out what the party wants you to do with the car—where to bring it if it ’ south driveable and where to have it towed if it ’ s not. finally, take the customer service congressman ’ sulfur appoint and phone number, and note the date and time .

Call your insurance provider

Start filing a claim deoxyadenosine monophosphate soon as potential through your personal car insurance company or citation card caller. insurance companies are more probable to deny a claim that is filed late. This is specially truthful with credit card insurance coverage .

Take care of the car

You are responsible for the car during the rental period. If the car is driveable, bring it back to the lease office or to another location in the company network. If the fomite is not operational, call for wayside aid from the lease company, AAA, your citation card supplier, or another supplier and have it towed to the lease car company location or an car shop .

File a report with the rental company

The accident report will ask about the details of the incident, the parties involved, and your policy information. For example, hera ’ randomness Avis ’ sulfur report .

Who Pays After a Rental Car Accident?

If you are at fault in an accident with a rental car, what happens future will depend on the policy coverage that you have.

You bought the CDW from the rental car company

If you purchased the collision damage release ( CDW ) at the lease car anticipate, you ’ rhenium covered. Unless the accident was due to reckless drive or a gap of the lease agreement, the damage waiver shifts most of the cost to repair or replace the vehicle to the rental ship’s company. Remember, though, that damage waivers don ’ triiodothyronine cover indebtedness for medical expenses or property for you or early people involved in the accident. You ’ ll have to rely on your personal insurance or the rental ship’s company ’ s auxiliary liability coverage for that .

You already have coverage

Most personal car insurance policies cover rentals, but decidedly check you coverage specify and deductible. If your car policy extends to car rentals, you are covered for both collision and liability up to the limits of your coverage .
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Some premium credit cards offer car rental coverage. If yours does, you will be covered angstrom hanker as you use the card to pay for the lease. Credit tease coverage is about constantly a damage release and doesn ’ t cover liability .

You are not covered

If the accident was your fault, you ’ ra responsible for price to the lease car and for any liability issues. In the event you are not at mistake, your rental company will work immediately with the other driver ’ randomness insurance company. unfortunately, the rental company may charge you before the dispute is settled. If this happens, you ’ ll have to deal with the other driver ’ second insurance directly to get reimbursed .
eminence that it is normally illegal to drive a rental car without any policy coverage. Most states require lease car companies to provide the state ’ s minimum indebtedness coverage on their vehicles .
notably, some states, like California, don ’ t have this necessity. In that case, renters without coverage ( specially indebtedness coverage ) could end up with a enormous bill on their hands. In addition, they can end up with a suspend license .

Additional Charges if You Crash Your Rental Car

If you were at fault for the accident, there are three types of charges beyond damage costs for which you may be liable.

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• Loss Of Use Fees: A rental car company is losing money when its fleet is out of circulation. Rental companies charge between $20 and $40 per day, depending on the make of the vehicle, to make up for lost revenue.
• Diminution Of Value: A damaged rental car has lost value. Rental companies charge fees to compensate for this devaluation. The fees can vary wildly, depending on the extent of the damage.
• Administrative Fees: Additional fees associated with the processing of your claim vary from $50 to $150 or more depending on the rental company.

Do This Before You Rent a Car

• Take Names and Numbers. Familiarize yourself with the procedures of your rental company. Make a note of emergency numbers and where to find accident/incident report forms.
• Research Your Insurance Coverage. Confirm what your personal auto insurance and credit card covers. Know the coverage limits and the deductibles, as well as whether it is primary or secondary coverage.
• Prepare to Pay. If you don’t already have coverage, it’s in your best interest to suck it up and purchase the rental company’s insurance. Alternatively, you can purchase inexpensive insurance from Sure, which is cheaper than what you’ll find at the rental counter. Still, remember that Sure provides collision coverage, not liability for persons or other property.

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