I Had An Accident In A Rental Car, What Should I Do?

If you have been in a car accident while in a rental car, you may be confused as to what the next steps may be. It could be very frustrating to deal with insurance companies or rental car companies. But, there are various steps you must have to take to make sure that your rights are protected. If you’re involved in an accident while in a rental car, and the accident was no fault of your own, you deserve to hold the at-fault party responsible for your injuries, even though you were in a rental car.

Many people may think that just because they were driving a rental car, they are not able to recover any compensation. But that is not the case, we recommend that you speak to our California car accident attorneys Megeredchian Law for more information on how to move forward with filing a lawsuit or an insurance claim.

How can our attorneys help you after a rental car accident?

Our car accident lawyers will help guide you through the legal process, and communicate with insurance companies and rental car companies so you do not have to. After a car accident, you should be getting medical attention, especially if you have suffered severe injuries. We will communicate and negotiate with these parties to make sure that we get the maximum compensation on your behalf.

Can I file a lawsuit against the rental car company if I have been involved in a car accident?

This question depends on what caused the car accident in the first place. For example, if the car accident was caused by failure to maintain the vehicle, such as failure to maintain the vehicle’s brakes, then you may have the right to file a lawsuit against the rental car company. Rental car companies have a duty and responsibility to make sure that their vehicles are properly maintained. For more information, we recommend that you speak to our car accident attorneys.

Will I be able to recover property damages from a rental car accident?

Although the car is a rental, you could still collect compensation for property damage. The responsible party should be paying for property damage to the vehicle.

What should I do after I have been involved in a rental car accident in California?

 After you have been involved in a rental car accident in california, there are some steps that you must take to make sure that the legal process is smooth. You should:

  • Take photos of the vehicle damage
  • Take photos of the accident location
  • Get the other parties’ insurance information
  • Get the other party’s driver’s license information
  • If there were any witnesses to the accident, make sure you get their information
  • Report the accident to the police
  • Report the accident to the insurance company
  • Report the accident to the rental car company
  • Get medical attention

These steps may seem simple, but in the heat of the moment, could be forgotten. For any assistance communicating or reporting the accident to third-party companies, recommend that you speak to our lawyers first.

What if I was partially responsible for the rental car accident?

If you are partially responsible for the rental car accident, you may be able to only recover a  portion of your injuries. For example, if you were responsible for the accident 25%, then you could recover the rest of the 75% of damages from the negligent party. Just because you were partially responsible does not mean that you can’t recover a single dollar. California falls under a comparative fault state, which still allows partially responsible accident victims to recover.

Does rental car insurance cover my damages?

Different types of insurance policies cover different types of accidents. For more information, to do an in-depth look into your insurance policy, we highly recommend that you call our car accident attorneys. There may be several different types of policies for car insurance, including supplemental liability insurance, personal accident insurance, and collision damage waiver. These policies are not always included, that is why we recommend a one-on-one consultation with our attorneys.

There is often primary and secondary car rental insurance coverage. For example, primary insurance is the type of insurance that first kicks in. This includes the coverage when a premium is paid. Secondary insurance policies kick in for those types of damages that your primary insurance has not paid for. For example, there are some travel credit cards that do have secondary insurance.

How can I prepare for a rental car accident?

When renting a vehicle, make sure that you have all types of insurance policies covered. Although you may make a lot of effort into planning a trip or a vacation, you may not purchase the excessive insurance policies. But, oftentimes, rental car insurance does pay off in the event of a car accident. If you do not want to purchase car insurance from a car rental company, you could purchase car insurance from a third-party company. Many travel credit cards also offer insurance they could purchase, or could be included.

What will our rental car accident attorneys do?

Our car accident attorneys will look into the accident circumstance to make sure that we have strong evidence in your favor. For example, we make sure that we have recovered all vehicle data, video surveillance, and photos, along with interviewing eyewitnesses to make sure that we’re able to prove liability. If you or someone you know was recently involved in a car accident with a rental car, look no further and call our law firm for more information.

How much is my car accident worth?

Because rental cars can play various roles in damages, including property damages, you must talk to our highly rated attorneys one-on-one to get a better sense of how much you could potentially recover for your car accident. There are several different factors that our attorneys may consider when recovering compensation. For example, this includes:

  • the party responsible for causing the accident
  • how the accident occurred
  • the severity of the accident victims’ injuries
  • the property damage to the vehicle
  • whether the accident victim was able to return to work
  • how many people were involved
  • whether the accident victims were responsible for themselves
  • the medical treatment that the accident victim received
How much does a rental car accident attorney in California cost?

Our car accident lawyers (abogados de accidentes de carro) do not collect any money upfront and only work on a contingency. The contingency is that unless we win compensation for you, we do not collect a single dollar.

What types of fees or penalties could I be faced with?

There are various different fees you could face in the event that you’re responsible for property damage to the rental car. For example:

  • Loss of use: this is the damage to the vehicle while the vehicle is being repaired
  • Loss of vehicle value: this is usually damages calculated for the vehicle that has suffered extreme damage

Rental Car Accident Attorney Near Me, Look no further, contact us today to take the next best steps for your case. Our lawyers will do an in-depth evaluation of your claim and determine what steps we should take to make sure you maximize your compensation.

 

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