How to Get a Rental Car After an Auto Accident
There you are, waiting your turn at a stop sign, when you're hit by someone driving a vehicle twice the size of yours. When you left home that morning you had no reason to believe that you wouldn't be returning in the same vehicle you've been driving for years, but in a split second everything has changed. In addition to giving statements to the police and dealing with injuries, one important next step is to get a rental car to drive until your totaled vehicle can be replaced.
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Instructions
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Obtain the other driver's insurance information, including the company name, a contact phone number and the name of a person to contact.
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Get a copy of the accident report from the police. Most times the fault is determined at the scene of the accident. Who is at fault will determine whose insurance company will cover the cost of the rental vehicle.
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Call your insurance agent to relay the insurance information from the other driver involved in the accident.
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Contact the responsible party's insurance company to obtain a claim number. If your insurance company will be paying for the rental, discuss a claim number with your agent when you call her to relay the insurance information from the other person involved.
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Visit a car rental agency and fill out the paperwork to rent a car. This will include providing the rental agency with the claim number and contact information for the insurance company that is responsible. You will need to provide a credit card to pay for your rental at that time. The car rental agency will provide a copy of the billing to the appropriate insurance company, and you will be reimbursed for the cost of renting the car.
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Tips & Warnings
When you contact your insurance agent with the insurance information from the other person involved in the accident, he may give you specific instructions on how to proceed in renting a car.
All insurance companies are different and state laws vary as well. The length of time that any insurance company will pay for a rental car will depend on its policies and what type of insurance coverage is in effect. You may have to return the rented car before your car has been repaired or replaced. If you keep the rental beyond the maximum number of days that the insurance will pay for, you will be liable for the additional cost.
Carrying rental coverage as part of the insurance you purchase for your own vehicle is a good idea. If you are in an accident, even if you are determined not to be at fault, if the other driver doesn't have sufficient coverage (or any insurance at all), at least you will have an option that will pay for a car rental.
