If you rent cars frequently, chances are that you will eventually be in an accident in one of those rental cars. If you do get into a crash while driving a rental car, what should you do? Dealing with this crash can be extremely nerve-wracking if you are not prepared. Luckily, the process is about the same as dealing with an accident while driving your own car (which you might never have had to deal with, either).
Before calling the police or checking for your rental car’s emergency number, the first thing you should do is make sure that everyone in all vehicles involved in the crash are okay. If someone is hurt, you should call 911 right away. If the damage to the vehicles has caused its own set of dangers (there are fumes or flames), you should get away from the area.
Once all of the people are safe, make sure to exchange contact information with the involved party and take pictures of the damage done to both cars. It is important not to mention to the other driver that you are driving a rental car. Some people will try to take advantage of this situation. Once it is safe to leave the scene, do it. You might need to wait until you are cleared to leave by a police officer.
These are exactly the same steps that you would take if you had been driving your own car. Now is where you would deviate from that procedure. After leaving the scene, you are going to have some more paperwork to deal with. Specifically, you should call the rental car company and let them know that you had an accident. Most vehicles will have an emergency number that you can call. Ask the representative what you should do, but also read your insurance plan to make sure you are actually being told the correct information.
Once you have informed the rental car company, you will also want to let your own insurance know that there was an accident. You should ask them if you need to file an accident report with the police or if they will do it for you. At this time, you should also make sure that you actually have collision, comprehensive, and liability coverage. If you do have collision and comprehensive, your plan should cover the rental car you were driving. Ask your representative about your deductible. If there is damage that has to be repaired, you will be responsible for paying your deductible (if the cost is higher than your deductible. If not, you will just have to pay the full cost of the repairs).
There are special conditions that might affect you, even if your insurance company covers the cost of the repairs. For example, if it is going to take three days to repair the car, you might have to pay for three days of the rental car. Unless you purchased an insurance or collision waiver when you rented the car, your insurance company will have to pay the rental car, based on the terms of your policy. If you are not at fault for the accident, your insurance company will then pursue the person who was responsible.
No car accident is fun or easy to deal with. Being in a rental car at the time can complicate matters, but if you follow the advice in this article, it will be much easier to deal with.
