CCD Law of Spokane safeguards victims after they’ve been seriously hurt in an accident involving rental cars. Contact a skilled car accident attorney to get a free case consultation after a collision. It’s an easy, no-obligation way to determine how to hold a car insurance company and perhaps a rental car company fully responsible for your injuries and hardships after an accident.
Do I Need a Lawyer after an Accident Involving a Rental Car?
If you only suffer very minor injuries and/or car damage in a collision, you may not need the help of a lawyer when filing a claim. But if your injuries are more serious, such as a broken bone, and another driver caused the impact, it’s a good idea to speak to a skilled Spokane Rental Car Accident Lawyer.
When medical bills are more than a few hundred dollars, you are more likely to meet resistance when you seek help from insurance companies. They’ll use common tactics like trying to blame you for what happened so they can reject your claim. Your CCD Law attorney is your shield against this shady behavior. Your lawyer conducts a deep investigation into your accident and uses the evidence to demand the most in compensation available on your behalf.
Who Is Liable for an Accident Involving a Rental Car?
Spokane traffic is pretty tough to deal with at certain times of the day, and at any given moment there may be a lot of drivers who aren’t even in their own cars. People may be from out of town and using rental cars. Recent accident victims may be depending on a rental vehicle until their own car gets out of the shop.
It doesn’t affect local traffic all that much until a crash happens. Then those with a smashed door or a painful injury can face a real puzzle about what car insurance provider will pay for the damage. Does the rental car customer have insurance? Does a company like Enterprise help victims recover?
In the simplest cases, a crash involving a rental car plays out like a normal accident. Drivers using rental cars could be covered by the normal insurance coverage they use for their own cars. Both drivers might submit claims to the other’s insurer.
But things can also get confusing when the standard car insurance providers don’t cover rental cars.
Who Gets the Insurance Claim After a Rental Car Accident?
Here’s a look at some of the possible insurance outcomes if you are struck by a rental car or you are in a rental car when you are hit:
The At-Fault Driver’s Primary Insurance Policy: As mentioned above, at-fault drivers may be protected by coverage from their own auto insurer. This could be true if they are in their own vehicles or using a rental car. All victims could file claims against the guilty driver’s policy. This insurance should take care of hospital costs for victims and hopefully repay a rental car company for damage to the vehicle. But beware. Not all car insurance providers cover their policyholders when they drive a rental.
Insurance Purchased Through Rental Car Company: Some customers purchase car insurance when they rent a car from companies like Thrifty and Alamo. There are also third-party rental car insurers who sell coverage after you’ve rented a car. There are many different kinds of coverage, so it’s important to know what you are protected from. Some policies would only cover the damage to the rental vehicle. Some options would protect you from the costs of repairing a car you struck. Full third-party liability coverage would help you pay the medical bills of anyone hurt by an accident you caused and help repair their vehicles. Be sure you know what you are covered for and what you aren’t.
Credit Car Coverage: If you purchase your rental with a credit card with certain perks, you may be covered by some insurance automatically. However, this insurance would usually only cover damage to the rental car itself. What’s more, this insurance is usually supplemental and would only kick in for what your own insurance didn’t provide.
The Rental Car Company: It’s also possible that a rental car company contributed to your accident. These companies are responsible for providing you with a well-maintained, inspected, and safe vehicle. After a tire blowout or a brake failure, your CCD Lawyer would help you prove that a rental car business provided you with an unsafe vehicle. Your accident claim could be sent directly to the rental car business as you seek help paying for medical care and property damage.
The insurance you have won’t mean much if the blame for an accident ends up in your lap even though you are innocent. Allow a skilled Spokane car accident lawyer to investigate what happened and collect the evidence needed to force a rental car driver or rental car company to accept the blame.
What to Do After an Accident Involving a Rental Car
Once an unfortunate accident has occurred, if you are strong enough, you should attempt to recover as much evidence from the scene as possible. This evidence will be the strongest proof of what happened, especially when a rental car company tries to question your financial responsibility for what happened.
After the scene is secure, begin gathering details to help you when you file an injury claim against an insurance company. If you must leave for the hospital, ask someone with you or a helpful witness to secure a few pieces of evidence.
- Call 911. Request a response from the Spokane Police or the Washington State Patrol no matter how minor you think the accident may be. Cooperate with investigators and tell them everything you observed so they can write up an accurate collision report. Allow paramedics to check you over.
- Get pictures with your phone. Show the damage to the rental car and any other vehicles involved. Show lane markings and skid marks left by any cars. Take pictures of any visible injuries. Also, show any logos or signage that indicate a vehicle is a rental.
- Swap details with all drivers involved if an officer doesn’t provide it.
- Talk with witnesses and find out what they observed.
- Alert the rental car company and follow their instructions.
- Alert your own car insurance agent.
What Can I Get Compensation for After a Spokane Rental Car Accident Injury?
No matter what insurance company is found liable, there are certain hardships you’ve suffered that must be included when you submit your claim.
Your demands must include much more than just medical bills due to an injury. With the help of a skilled Spokane car accident lawyer, you will create a full list of economic and non-economic damages to be included in your injury claim.
This is a key step because anything left off this list won’t factor into the final total of a car accident settlement check.
These and other damages should all play a role in the size of the settlement victims receive:
- Medical Bills (Past and Future).
- Potential lifetime costs of a physical disability, including home care and medical equipment expenses.
- Support for the physical pain injured patients endure.
- Support for the emotional trauma patients can experience.
- Wages and benefits the patient loses while away from work.
- Car repair or replacement.
- Wrongful Death Benefits for Families. Families who lose a loved one in a car accident can file a wrongful death claim and receive support with funeral costs and leftover medical bills. A CCD wrongful death lawyer would also demand support for the future when the family would be without the guidance and income the victim can no longer provide to loved ones.
Contact a Spokane Rental Car Accident Attorney
If you or a loved one are the victims of a serious car accident you should speak with an experienced Spokane Rental Car Accident Lawyer at CCD Law. Insurance companies and rental car businesses will look for ways to blame you for the accident and then try to downplay the seriousness of your injury. This can greatly reduce the support you receive to pay your medical bills and rebuild your life.
Contact us after any accident resulting in a serious injury for a free, confidential consultation. It’s an easy way to find out what your injury is worth and how to hold insurance companies fully accountable.
There is no obligation, but if you decide we can help you get the most from your injury claim, you won’t need any money now. We don’t get paid unless we win your case, and then our fee comes out of any injury settlement you receive.
