Posted on Friday, October 19th, 2018 at 11:36 pm
With over a million people calling Sacramento County home and hundreds of thousands of people visiting Sacramento County each year, the rental car industry is very busy. It is likely that you share the road each day with several rental cars, especially if you travel near airports, train stations, hotels, resorts, and tourist attractions. Unfortunately, a recent study claims that rental car drivers can be more aggressive, more inattentive, and display poor driving skills.
Because you could be in an accident involving a rental car, it is a good idea to understand what to do after a rental car accident.
Call 911.
Report the accident to the police and request assistance. Do not let the driver talk you out of reporting the accident. Accident claims involving rental cars can be complex. You need to have documentation that the accident occurred. In addition, the police report might also implicate the other driver in the cause of the accident, which could help you with your claim.
Are you injured?
You need to determine whether you need emergency medical services. If you believe you may be injured, it is best to seek medical services immediately. Documenting your injuries after a car accident is crucial. A delay in treatment may create problems with your insurance claim.
Ask for information.
In addition to the typical information you ask for after any traffic accident (name, driver’s license number, tag number, insurance information, etc.) you need to ask the driver to provide you with the rental car information. Make sure that you get the name of the rental car company, the name of the person who rented the vehicle, and the contact number for the rental car agency.
Document the damage.
Make sure to take photographs and make pictures of the accident scene and each vehicle involved. Pay special attention to the damage to each vehicle, skid marks, and any traffic signs or signals.
Report the claim to the insurance company.
In most cases, the driver’s car insurance covers accidents when the person is driving a rental vehicle. However, this is not always the case. In a rental car accident claim, you may have multiple insurance companies involved in the accident claim. For instance, the driver’s car insurance provider may be the primary source of compensation. However, you could also have a claim against an insurance provider for the rental car company if the driver opted to purchase insurance coverage when he rented the vehicle. You may also have a claim against your insurance provider for an uninsured or underinsured motorist claim. Therefore, you need to place all insurance companies on notice of a potential claim. However, you must be incredibly careful when dealing with an insurance company, even your own insurance provider. Insurance companies take measures to reduce their liability for a claim. You do not want to make a mistake that could reduce the money you receive for your claim. Working with an experienced Sacramento rental car accident attorney is strongly recommended.
Call Now for Your Free Case Review with a Sacramento Rental Car Accident Attorney
To schedule your free consultation, call The Tiemann Law Firm at (916) 999-9000.
