An Allentown Car Accident Lawyer Discusses What to Do After a Rental Car Accident

October 26, 2020
dhdlaw

In many ways, your responsibilities after an accident in a rental car are similar to those that occur after any accident:

  • Check yourself for injuries to yourself, your passengers, and other drivers.
  • Move to a safe location if possible.
  • Contact the police. Call 911 if anyone has severe or life-threatening injuries. Otherwise, contact the state highway patrol, sheriff, or local law enforcement.
  • Exchange contact and insurance information with any other involved drivers, including full names and contact information, insurance company and policy numbers, driver’s license and license plate numbers, type, color, and model of the vehicles, and location of the accident. Take phone video for simplicity’s sake.
  • Document the accident. Take photos of all damage to your vehicle and others, record the names and badge numbers of the assisting officers, get a copy of the police report, if possible, and take witness statements if possible.
  • Contact an Allentown car accident lawyer before you speak with your insurance company.

About Insurance Coverage

Your personal auto insurance policy should cover most damage through:

  • Collision Insurance. This coverage helps pay for damage to your vehicle, minus your deductible. The deductible is the amount of money you pay out of your own pocket before insurance takes over costs. Most collision coverages apply to rental cars with the same deductible.
  • Liability Coverage. This coverage helps pay for damage to other people’s property and medical bills, and also applies to rental car accidents in most situations.

Two other insurance coverages, although optional, might apply to your rental car accident:

  • Medical Payments Coverage. This coverage may help you and your passengers with doctor or hospital visit expenses, surgery, ambulance transportation, and other expenses.
  • Personal Injury Protection (PIP). This coverage, also known as “no-fault insurance,” is required in some states and not available in others, and may also cover medical expenses for you and your passengers.

Rental Car Insurance

If you have elected rental car insurance, be aware that this coverage generally mirrors the main elements of your own auto insurance coverage:

  • Loss Damage Waiver (LDW). LDW, also known as collision damage waiver (CDW), may waive the cost of repairing the car. It is not technically “insurance,” but functions in the same way as your policy’s collision insurance.
  • Liability Coverage. This coverage on a rental car’s insurance offering is similar to what you have on a personal auto policy and helps pay for damage to other people’s property and medical bills.
  • Personal Accident Insurance. This coverage is like medical payments coverage or PIP. This helps cover medical expenses for you and your passengers.

You may also have limited collision coverage from your credit card company, depending on the credit card issuer and your cardmember standing. Call the toll-free number on the back of your credit card to ask about your options before you rent a car.

Contact an Allentown Car Accident Lawyer at Drake, Hileman & Davis for More Information

If you have been involved in an accident while driving a rental car, call an Allentown car accident lawyer at Drake, Hileman & Davis. We’ll help you understand your coverage and assist you with any claims you may have.

Contact us for further information and to schedule your free consultation.