What Should I Do if I Get in an Accident in a Rental Car?

What should I do if I get in an accident in a rental car? Take immediate measures to protect yourself and get help from a New Orleans car accident lawyer. 

An experienced attorney can sort through the potential complications that come with rental car accidents and will work to protect your rights and get you financial justice for your losses.

Take Steps at the Scene

What you do at the accident scene can make a difference in the outcome of an injury claim you file after an accident in a rental car. As long as you can move without injuring yourself, start collecting evidence. Start by taking photos of the entire environment. 

Your images should include road conditions and markings, traffic signals, and the locations of security or traffic cameras that could have recorded accident footage. Snap pictures of the damage to the vehicles involved and their positions, and cover your own injuries, too. 

Call the authorities to the scene to take your statement and create an official report. Talk to witnesses and record their contact details. Ask them to email or text you their account of the events while the details are still fresh in their minds. Make your own notes about what happened, too. 

Protect Yourself by Speaking With Care

Your words can be used against you even after an accident in a rental car, so be very careful with what you say and how you say it. You need to share insurance, registration, and contact information with the other parties involved, but keep your verbal exchanges limited to those facts only. Do not apologize, say anything that could come across as an admission of fault, or minimize your pain and injury.

Your online presence can also impact your potential accident claim. It is best not to post about the accident. Think before you make any posts at all. Others involved in the accident may look for ways to discredit you, especially if you are seeking compensation.

You do not have to talk to the insurance adjusters representing others involved in the accident. You do need to report the accident to the rental company.

Keep your initial comments basic, providing the time, date, and location of the incident. Your attorney can guide you through additional discussions with the rental and insurance companies.

Get Prompt Medical Care

Do not put off getting medical care or underestimate the importance of seeing a doctor after a car accident, whether that accident is in a rental car or your own vehicle.

You may not feel pain or recognize symptoms in the initial shocking moments after the event, but that does not mean you have not sustained serious injury.

Your well-being depends on prompt care. Damage caused by some injuries can take a few hours or a day to appear, but if you wait to get care until the damage becomes evident, you may have lost the chance for a swift or full recovery.

You may need to seek compensation for your injuries. Having injuries documented promptly strengthens your claim. It also protects you from accusations leveled by the at-fault party that your injuries could not have been so bad if they did not require fast attention, or that you, not they, are responsible for hurting yourself further by waiting to get care.

Secure Representation After You Get in an Accident in a Rental Car

You absolutely should hire a car accident lawyer in Louisiana if you get in an accident in a rental car. Your attorney can investigate the accident to find the negligent party and gather evidence against them. Further, your attorney can sort through the insurance complications that come with rental-car accidents.

Statute 1296 of the Louisiana State Legislature states that a car-renter’s personal auto insurance extends to rental cars. All drivers in Louisiana must carry mandatory minimum liability coverage, as established in 

Consumer’s Guide to Auto Insurance. If a renter adds collision or comprehensive coverage to their personal auto insurance policies, this coverage should extend to the rental as well.

Some renters may not have personal insurance and must purchase coverage from the car company to secure a vehicle. Other times, renters with insurance may still opt to buy supplemental coverage from the rental-car company or buy a collision damage waiver.

There are many possible insurance scenarios when you get in an accident in a rental car, and it is best to have an attorney navigate them for you.

File a Car Accident Claim With the Court

Clients often ask how long they have to file a car accident claim in Louisiana. You have two years from the date of your accident. Filing on time is vital. Missing the filing deadline could prevent you from collecting compensation you deserve. Still, never just assume you are too late to file, since some cases present justification for a deadline extension. Connect with us for a free case evaluation.

Accident claims, including those for rental car accidents, often settle through negotiations. Representatives from each side negotiate until they agree on a compensation amount. If you accept the settlement amount, the case ends without going before a judge.

Negotiations are not always productive, and in these circumstances, you and your attorney may decide it is best to fight for compensation at trial. Filing your claim within the two-year deadline protects this opportunity for you.

You can depend on us for fierce advocacy and powerful representation at every trial date. As our case results show, we fight hard to secure our clients’ financial justice and security. 

We Provide Dedicated, Top-Notch Representation to Every Client

If you get in an accident with a rental car, your top priority is recovery. Do not expend any energy working through complex insurance policies or taking your claim through the legal process. 

We can do those things for you. Connect with a call or a message to schedule a free case review and get the dedicated, top-of-the-line representation Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers provides.