What Happens in a Rental Car Accident Without Insurance?
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Wondering what to do after a rental car accident, but you don’t have the insurance? Read on to find out more
Typically when you sign up with a rental car company, you can opt-in for insurance in the off chance that you get into a bad car accident. However, to save money, you might have decided to avoid it. If you had the misfortune of getting into an expensive rental car accident, you might have to deal with the consequences of the crash if it was your fault.
If it’s the other party’s fault, you may not be held liable but can still possibly be charged for the cost of the repair. According to the lawyers at Henningsen Injury Attorneys, P.C., here is what happens in a rental car accident if you drove without the rental car company’s insurance.
Company Paid Bond
Many rental car companies have motor vehicle rental company bonds on their cars. This is so that when you fall below the standards of conduct, the rental car company can hold you financially responsible. If the car accident is your fault, the rental car company can file a claim against you to seek damages. Every state is different, which means that the limits of the bond can also differ according to state regulations.
Your Personal Car Insurance
You may be able to have your car insurance company pay for your damages if your policy covers you and not your car. Your insurance coverage may include allowances for accidents that don’t happen in the vehicle listed under your policy, like a rental car accident.
When this is the case, your insurer can pay the rental car company and later increase your premium or administer other penalties if you are at fault. If you weren’t at fault, either you or your car insurance company can pay and be reimbursed at a later date by the other party through an insurance claim.
Credit Card Rental Car Insurance
In some cases, your credit card may provide rental car insurance on your behalf when you pay for the service. This means that once you get into an accident, your credit card company will cover the cost of the damages. How this works depends entirely on your credit card company’s rules and regulations, so it would be a good idea to reach out to them first to find out if they will cover the repair value for you.
How Do I Know Who Is Or Isn’t At Fault?
Knowing whether you can be held liable for your damages can be difficult, especially if all parties deny that they caused the accident. Reach out to a rental car accident lawyer who can investigate your case and find out for you. Your attorney can use the evidence surrounding your rental car crash to prove whether the other party can be held responsible. This information will be necessary to receive compensation for your damages in a fair settlement.
Your lawyer can find evidence by obtaining footage from traffic cameras, filing a subpoena against the other driver to see if they were texting while driving, analyzing the photos you provided of your car crash, and other methods. Medical bills are another form of evidence that lists the injuries you sustained because of the rental car crash.
A Rental Car Accident Doesn’t Mean You Lose Everything!
These are just some of the methods an attorney will use to prove who is at fault. If you are partially at fault, you can still receive compensation if the comparative fault rule applies to your accident. Find out more from a professional rental car accident attorney today.