You may be practicing extremely cautious driving with a rental car, even more so than usual, because you know that you will have to return it in the same condition soon. So it is frustrating and disappointing when you ultimately become involved in a car crash. Aside from potentially incurring serious injuries, the rental car company may charge you hefty fees for the incurred damages. Read on to discover how to cover the damages you incurred in a rental car crash and how a seasoned Washington, D.C. car accident lawyer at Simeone & Miller, LLP can assist you in doing so.
How can rental car insurance help me after my accident?
Commonly, rental car companies offer supplemental insurance coverage, in which you pay an extra amount of money per day to be protected in the event of an accident. So, it may come in handy if you opted for any one of the following coverage plans:
- Collision damage insurance: this coverage may pay for the car repair costs and other fees.
- Personal effects insurance: this coverage may pay for the repair costs of your personal belongings in the car at the time of your crash.
- Personal accident insurance: this coverage may pay for the costs of your medical bills.
- Liability insurance: this coverage may protect you if you were at fault for your rental car crash and there is now a personal injury claim against you.
How do I cover the damages I incurred in a rental car crash?
Unfortunately, there is the possibility that you forewent the supplemental insurance coverage when you rented the car. With this, the rental car company may run an extensive inspection of the car and bill you the full price of its necessary repairs. They may do so even if you can prove that the accident was due to no fault of your own.
But rest assured, there may still be ways to relieve yourself of the damages you incurred in your rental car crash. For example, you may file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. However, the insurance company may only compensate you for a portion of your damages, or they may deny your claim altogether.
This is when you may proceed forward with a personal injury lawsuit. Importantly, this claim may entail submitting a sufficient amount of evidence that shows the negligence of the at-fault driver (i.e., a police report, photos, videos, witness testimonies, etc).
As you may likely conclude yourself, you may have an important case on your hands that requires immediate action. More specifically, you may only have three years from the date of your crash to bring your case forward. So do not hesitate in reaching out to a competent Washington, D.C. auto accident lawyer at Simeone & Miller, LLP.