Most of us don’t go out and rent a car regularly, unless we need it for work which is a long way from our normal workplace. An accident with a rental vehicle is more common than one might think because renters do not have the same familiarity with the vehicle as with the one they might normally drive and the area they are driving in may not be so familiar either.
If an accident does take place it can be difficult to find a quick solution because of the number of different parties involved. There is the other driver, the rental business and the insurer who will all be part of the situation.
When you rent a vehicle you will assume that it is safe to drive and the rental agency expects you to bring back the vehicle in the same condition as when you drove it away.
A Rental Car should be safe
Any rental company has the obligation to make sure that the vehicles their customers drive away are in a safe state. They are expected to undertake a thorough inspection as they have to take responsibility for any injuries which are caused by defects and can be detected without too much trouble.
Rental Car Insurance
Your regular insurance policy will probably provide some coverage for a rental car, but if it doesn’t, then extra coverage will be a requirement made by the rental agency.
Rental Car Accidents
If you have an accident in a rental car, then you will have to report it in the same way as with any other accident which includes
- Reporting the accident to the police
- Reporting the accident to the car rental agency
- Not settling with the other party before informing the car rental agency
- Not admitting liability
- Calling your insurer if it is likely there might be a claim which may affect your car insurance.
Negligence
If you think that the rental agency may be at fault because the car was defective in some way and this led to your accident, you must say so in writing. These sorts of circumstances are often difficult to prove as the defect should be visible with quite a simple inspection. If it is hard to detect then the rental agency may not be liable if an accident takes place.
You may need a lawyer
It is very hard these days to make anyone accountable for their actions so if you have an accident and you believe it was caused by someone else’s negligence then it is important to contact an experienced rental car lawyer. A consultation will confirm if you have good grounds for filing a compensation claim against the rental car company for any injuries that might be due to a defective rental car.
A lawyer will then compile a case which will include a full compensation package for any injuries that may have arisen as a result of the accident. It is your legal right to ask for compensation from the person who caused your injuries, whether it is an individual driver or a car rental agency.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, learn how to protect your rights with a free consultation. Contact an experienced Philadelphia Car Accident Lawyer.
