Car Crash Involving Rental Vehicles
Vacation is one of the most looked forward reason to travel during summers and even long weekends. Family along with their friends pack their own things needed for their comfortable summer experience and most of us rents a large van for us to maximize the enjoyment even in travel that we can talk and make fun while traveling. As we travel to a vacation location, the last thing most of us would thought about is dealing with an accident, problematic enough, but dealing with a rental car accident is harder than we thought. Given that the car involved in the accident is not your property and so is the insurer, agreement before handing the rental car and its process for first timers who can deal with civil litigation is tough, might say.
In the event of crash
Realistically speaking, the first thing people involved in the accident should to is to check if everyone is safe and everything in here as follows:
- Assess everyone’s condition including others and take note
- Document the scene of accident by taking pictures and video of the damages and essential information
- Exchange contact information
- Contact the rental company as well as your lawyer
- Call the authorities and while waiting for them;
- Determine who’s at fault by recalling the events and taking notes of the other driver’s statements
Things to take note when determining who’s at fault
To be precise, know what are the limitation of what can your claim could cover and agreements, remember what are your agreements with your insurance company to cover as well as the car rental company can cover that is usually stated before handing over the car or atleast the payment. If when the rental car is booked with a payment firm that has offered rental car coverage, that can help in the slightest of damage dealt to the rental car and may decrease the at-fault’s liability.
Damage done by the Collision
Damages is one factor to determine who’s at fault and the amount of compensation or the settlement value for the at-fault driver. When damages are much worse for the at-fault, it is said that the amount of compensation is decreased for consideration or depending upon agreement.
If your insurer has collision and comprehensive coverage, it usually extends up to rental cars not only cars that are your property too where it is a good thing. If it doesn’t as you might only have regular and non-extensive insurance policy, it is recommended purchasing a collision damage waiver from the rental car company because if you don’t , you will have to pay for the damages or even get sued by the other driver if you were at-fault.
Damage done to Occupants
Previously mentioned about damage, it pertains not only to property damage but as well as to physical, mental, and emotional damage done to the occupants of both cars. It is said that these types of damages significantly increase the amount and the likelihood of lawsuit to occur as they are either permanent or temporary damages.
As an at-fault victim, if you have already have liability insurance in general, then good thing as it extends to rental cars too in most cases. If not, you can as well purchase supplemental liability protection from the rental agency that is significantly affordable compared to paying full amount of repair and the whole liability.
Loss of Rental Car Income
Similar to personal injury claims, the addition to the settlement amount of calculated loss of income as the rental car will undergo some repairs and refurnishing to be back in shape and be road-worthy again as compared to personal injury claims, the person’s daily income is calculated to the days of recuperation and other extra reasonable fees would be the total amount of his compensation, that is also how settlement pay for rental car accident works for the at-fault drivers. Experienced lawyers can explain these multiple concepts of civil litigation for you if ever you are involved and in need of one.
Ryan Injury Lawyers
If you were involved in an accident during your vacation outing, and has sustained significant injuries while using a rental vehicle. Upon reviewing and recalling what had happened, you have came up to the conclusion that you are the victim and the other driver is the at-fault driver then you are entitled to file for an injury claim.
Ryan Injury Lawyers is an Ohio based injury lawyer that represents victims of personal injury caused by car accidents, medical malpractice due to medical professional’s negligence, and even wrongful death against large companies, agencies and even individuals. We have 40 years of experience doing our service in this field and evidently successful with our civil litigations. Call our office now for free legal consultation.