What to Do if You Are in an Accident in a Rental Car

Getting into an accident in a rental car is probably not top of the list of things to do on a vacation. Unfortunately, when many motorists get behind the wheel of a car they are not used to driving combined with driving an unfamiliar vehicle on unfamiliar roadways, accidents are bound to happen.

In many ways, procedure for rental car accidents are similar to what you’d want to do in an accident in your personal vehicle. The main difference is the added paperwork from your rental agreement and rental insurance.

Here’s what you should do if you get into an accident in a rental car:

Steps to take after an accident in a rental car

1. Ensure that everyone is ok

Car accidents can be a very stressful event for those involved. Many times, as you are going through the throws of an accident, your thinking is not always clear.

However, the first thing you should remember to do is to pull over to a safe area if your car is still moving, turn the engine off, and ensure everyone is ok. If anyone involved in the accident is injured, contact 9-1-1 immediately and request medical assistance.

2. Exchange information

As soon as you’ve addressed the safety of the accident scene and those involved, you should exchange contact and insurance information with all parties involved. You should be sure to collect information such as:

• Full names
• Addresses
• Phone number and email addresses
• Insurance company and policy number
• Drivers license number, vehicle registration and license plates of all vehicles involved
• Witness information

If there are any injuries, law enforcement will arrive to the scene along with paramedics.  In this event, you should be prepared to show them all of the above information as they will require this to complete a police report.

While interacting with the other drivers involved, do not admit or elude to fault. This essentially circles back to the fact that you are not thinking clearly after an accident. You have no idea what the other driver(s) were doing at the time of the accident, if they were distracted or speeding. If the police ask you, kindly tell them that you are unsure as to who is to blame and allow them to come to a conclusion on their own.

If the other drivers are hostile, simply wait for the police to arrive and allow them to conduct the investigation.

You should also air on the side of caution in the even the other party requests a video statement of your version of events. Never agree to a recorded testimony of any sort, under any circumstance, without speaking with a personal injury attorney first.

Moreover, do not disclose to the other parties that you are driving a rental car as they may use that as an opportunity to place the blame on you.

3. Take notes and take pictures

While your version of events is still fresh in your mind, take the time to write down detailed notes about how you believe the accident happened. You should outline important information such as:

• The year, make and model of all vehicles involved;
• Weather and roadway conditions;
• The location of the accident. What is the name of the street? Are you in an intersection? Which direction are all vehicles facing?

4. Let the rental car company know about the accident

So far the steps to take after your accident seem uniform to a traditional accident, right? Here’s where the protocol begins to differ…

As soon as you are able, contact the rental car company and advise of the car accident. If you cannot remember this information, there should be contact information in the center console or glove box that you can reference. Your rental agreement should also have their information listed.

Ask the company how you should proceed. In most cases, you’ll need to complete a statement with the rental car company depicting your version of events, so make sure you refer to your notes when doing so.

5. Contact a personal injury attorney to obtain free advice for your rental car accident

Before speaking with your personal insurance company, which will be the next step in this guide, you’ll want to contact a personal injury attorney in the event you’ve been injured and are looking for ways to collect compensation for your injuries. An experienced attorney will also be able to assist you in resolving the property damage portion of your accident if in fact you were not responsible for the accident. In that case, you will not need to involve your personal insurance company as the negligent driver’s insurance company will be held responsible for all damages and repairs.

Please note, however, that in the State of Nevada, if you are at fault for an accident, you will likely not be able to file a personal injury claim. 

6. Contact your insurance company

If you have clearly been identified as the negligent driver (at-fault driver), you will need to go through your own insurance company to serve as your primary source of coverage for repairs to the vehicle.

Below are a few questions you should consider asking:

• Do I have collision and comprehensive coverage in additional to liability coverage?
• What is my deductible?
• Do I have rental coverage on my policy?

If you don’t have rental coverage on your policy, you may be liable for the days the car is in the repair shop. In other words, if the car is in the shop for two weeks, you may need to pay the company the daily rate for the two weeks that it is being worked on. In most cases, you can bypass that expense by purchasing extra insurance from the rental car company.

Related Content:

• Do Insurance Companies Provide Rental Cars?
• Insurance Companies and Accident Claims Investigations
• Las Vegas Vacation Injury Lawyer
• Filing a Car Accident Claim in Nevada