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If you’ve been involved in a car accident and need a rental car while yours is being repaired, there are a few ways to go about getting one as a car accident lawyer can share with you:
First, you should check your car insurance policy to see if you have rental car coverage, and how much of the rental car cost will be covered by your insurance. Most of the time, the coverage is up to a certain dollar amount and/or has a time limitation for how long you can use a rental car and it be covered under your policy. If you carry rental car coverage under your policy, this is usually the fastest way to get a rental car (unless you pay out of pocket and hope to get reimbursed later).
Second, you should contact your own car insurance company to notify them about your accident as soon as possible to file your claim. Your insurance company will also advise you about whether you carry coverage for a rental car on your policy and if so, guide you through the process of getting a rental car. Sometimes your car insurance company may have a preferred rental car provider with whom they have partnered because that company may offer discounts and/or direct billing to the insurance company. Often when this is the situation, your car insurance company will arrange the rental for you as our friends at Kiefer & Kiefer can explain.
You are not obligated to use your insurance company’s preferred provider and can choose any rental company that is convenient for you. However, you may have to pay the company you choose upfront and be reimbursed later if your insurance company does not cover it directly.
If you do not have rental car coverage under your own policy, and you were not at fault for the car accident, you may still be able to get a rental car through the other driver’s insurance policy.
First, you should contact the other driver’s insurance company and file a claim and inquire about rental car coverage under their policy. You will have to provide information about the accident, your contact information, and possibly your car insurance information. The other driver’s insurance company will then guide you through their process for obtaining a rental car. Either way, this process may take longer because the other driver’s insurance company is likely going to need to see the police report first and/or talk with their insured about the accident. If this is the case and you need to get a rental car quickly, you will likely have to get one yourself and then seek reimbursement for it later if it is determined the other driver was at fault.
If you do not have rental car coverage and you were at fault for the accident and you need to get a rental car, you will have to arrange for it yourself and pay out of pocket for it. After you get your rental car, make sure you know when you have to return it and return it by that date, otherwise you will be charged out of pocket.
If you have been in an accident and need help figuring out next steps such as getting a rental car, contact a lawyer near you for help.
