Each year, vehicle crashes contribute to nearly 50 million injuries and 1.34 million deaths around the world. Unfortunately, car accidents are so common that you should always be prepared for the aftermath.
When you get into a car accident, your adrenaline will be pumping. Getting all the information you need can feel impossible.
Rental car accidents need a few more steps than your average car accident. In this guide, we will go over these extra factors, so you can prepare for them each time you rent a car.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know in the event of a rental car accident.
The First Actions You Must Take
As soon as you get in a rental car accident, you must begin assessing the scene. Check yourself and other passengers for injuries first, then contact the correct authorities.
If another car was involved in the accident, you will need to exchange insurance information as well as the following.
- Names
- Contact information
- Driver’s license
- License plate number
- Location of your accident
- All information about their car, including the color
After this, take plenty of photos of the accident. Once the authorities show up, be sure to take down their badge numbers and ask for a copy of the police report.
Contact Insurance
Immediately contact your insurance after you’ve compiled all the above information. Doing this as soon as possible will ensure that your claim is not denied.
Once you are on the phone with an agent, they will ask you many questions. Before hanging up, you will want to ask about your deductible. This is how much you will have to pay out of pocket for the rental car accident.
Contact Car Rental Company
Contacting your rental car company is just as important as contacting your insurance. They will tell you what to do with the car and help you with the next steps.
Most likely, they will have you fill out another report about the accident. Most of the details for the report will come from the information you collected at the scene of the accident.
Find Out Who Pays What
When you get into an accident in a rental car, you, your insurance, and the rental car company will likely pay for some portion of the damages. It’s important to find out who will be paying for what early on.
At the time you call the car rental company, be sure to ask what they will be covering and what you still need to pay for. Whether or not you were responsible for the car accident, you may still need to pay fees on the car.
There is a chance that you have to pay out the remaining days on your rental car or continue to pay for it while it sits in the repair shop.
Additionally, depending on the circumstances of the accident and the injuries sustained, there may be more work you aren’t aware of. Hiring an accident attorney may be a good choice if you are in over your head.
Stay Prepared for a Rental Car Accident
No one ever expects to get in a car accident, which can make the situation hard to prepare for. If you’ve never been in an accident, it’s unlikely that you would know what to do in the event of one.
If you found this article on rental car accidents helpful, check out the rest of our page for more guides like this one.