Renting a car might be the most practical option for transportation if a car accident prevents you from keeping your automobile while it is being repaired. Yet, you might not have to pay for your rental automobile out of pocket. Depending on the circumstances, you might be covered by your insurance policy or the insurance of the other party for the cost of a rental car while you wait for your car to be returned. A discussion with a car accident lawyer may be necessary to determine who will pay for your rental.
Liability insurance company when another driver is at-fault
The insurance provider for the other party will be your first port of call for potential rental car reimbursement. Colorado has implemented fault-based insurance rules since 2003 to establish culpability in vehicle collision claims. Colorado was one of a select few states that used no-fault insurance regulations before to 2003. No matter who was at fault, each driver in a no-fault jurisdiction will seek compensation from their insurance provider. Nowadays, however, the at-fault driver will be responsible for any damages.
Get information like the name and insurance information of the other motorist first. then seek medical attention for any wounds. Call the driver’s insurance provider as soon as you are in a secure location to report the collision and submit a damage claim. In your claim, mention the need for a rented car. Depending on the other driver’s insurance policy, your rental car fees can be covered by that company. The majority of paid rentals are comparable to your car. Do not anticipate the insurer to cover the cost of a sports car rental if you drive an economy car, for instance. If you hired a Denver car accident attorney to represent you for an injury claim, your attorney can advise you which insurance company may be responsible for your car rental.
Your rental car insurance coverage
Turn to your insurer for reimbursement instead if the other driver does not have insurance, the accident was a hit-and-run, or if the other driver’s insurance company would not pay for the cost of a rental car. By making a claim with your insurance provider, you might receive compensation for the price of your car’s repairs, lost income, medical expenses, and other out-of-pocket expenses like car rentals.
If you have rental automobile insurance, your insurance company might pay the rental fees. Colorado offers an extra sort of coverage that you might have declined. You might have it if you have liability, collision, or comprehensive insurance. You might need to cover the rental fee up front if you seek compensation for a rental car through any insurance provider. The insurance provider will later provide you a settlement cheque to cover the costs you incurred.
Several insurance providers have direct relationships with rental automobile agencies. If so, paying for a rental may not need you to spend your own funds. Your insurance provider will direct you to a particular car rental firm instead. A rental will be given to you for nothing out of pocket. Instead of charging you, the rental agency will bill your insurance company directly. After that, you can use the rental vehicle while your insurance provider handles the payment.
When fault is disputed after your Colorado car accident
Occasionally disagreements over fault and liability can get in the way of you getting the rental car you need.
Let’s say you believe that a collision was totally the fault of the other motorist. You ask for a rental and file a claim with their insurance provider. Insurance providers do not automatically accept every claim. In reality, it’s normal practice to come up with excuses for rejecting claims. This specific insurance provider contests the idea that their driver caused the collision. Your request for reimbursement and a rental automobile is denied.
Liability disputes can be difficult to settle. Not months from now, when issue is finally discovered, but right now, when you most likely need a rental car. It may be better to either (a) seek assistance from your own insurance provider or (b) pay for the rental yourself and request reimbursement if and when the insurance provider for the at-fault driver accepts responsibility. If the accident was not your fault, you are entitled to compensation for any out-of-pocket costs you incurred, including rental fees.
Rental fees recovered in your car accident settlement
Whether or whether someone else covers the cost of your rental automobile at the time of the accident, you may be entitled to compensation later on through a settlement. You might be entitled to reimbursement for the cost of the rental car while your vehicle was being repaired as part of an insurance settlement from the at-fault party’s insurer. You might be able to sue the defendant if the insurance company declines to settle your case for what you or your personal injury attorney believe it is worth.
A judgment award that covers the cost of a rental car may be made in the event that an accident trial is successful. In addition, a trial may result in remuneration for medical expenses, missed wages, emotional agony, mental anguish, and property damage repairs. You could use a lawyer to assist you establish liability, calculate your losses, and submit your injury claim within Colorado’s three-year window. Your attorney could include the cost of the rental automobile, if you were required to cover it, in the list of benefits you are seeking.
