Who pays for the rental car after an accident?

It’s only natural to wonder who pays for the rental car after an accident. In Georgia, the at-fault driver’s insurance company will be responsible for covering your medical bills, repairing any damage to your car that was caused by the accident, and the rental car while your vehicle is in the shop.

Although we want to believe that the insurer would do the right thing and make it as easy as possible for you to obtain that rental, unfortunately, that’s not always the case. If you’re running into problems, Macon car accident lawyer Mike Rafi will be ready to help. You can contact Mike online to schedule a free consultation, or you can give him a call at (478) 216-1664.

Here’s some information that will give you a better idea of who will be required to cover your rental in the event an accident occurs.

If Another Driver Is At Fault

As we mentioned earlier, the at-fault driver will be liable for all of your accident-related expenses, called “damages”, because Georgia is considered a “fault” state when it comes to car accidents.

In order to get these damages, you’ll usually need to file an insurance claim with the company that covers the at-fault driver. Any costs you have to pay for a comparable car rental should be included in the claim and made part of your final settlement.

There are times where an at-fault driver’s insurer will actually be responsive. They’ll accept your claim with no push-back, and you’ll get the money you have coming to you fairly quickly. The bad news is that doesn’t always happen. You might need to first make the claim with your insurance company if you have rental car coverage, then they will cover those costs up front, but they might require reimbursement from your settlement.  

If You Are At Fault

Mistakes happen. If you were the one who caused the accident, you don’t need to panic. Hopefully, you decided to purchase rental car coverage as part of your regular automobile policy. If you did, then your carrier will be required to cover the cost of your rental car for as long as you need it. If you don’t have that coverage, you’ll be responsible for paying the rental costs out of your own pocket.

If you don’t currently have rental car coverage, you should contact your insurance provider to add it. It usually only results in a small increase in your premium, but could save you hundreds in the event you cause an accident and your car requires repairs.

What to Do if Insurance Denies Your Claim

While there are exceptions, more often than not an insurance provider will make it difficult for you to obtain full and fair compensation. Their concern is money, but not yours, so they’re notorious for trying to pay as little as they can for a claim, ideally they want to deny your claim entirely.

This is just one of the many reasons you should hire a Macon car accident lawyer. A skilled legal representative will do everything possible to convince the insurance company that it would be much better off making you a fair settlement offer compared to them going to court and being required to pay all those additional costs. Your lawyer will also work to make the process as fast as possible so you can get what you deserve earlier.

There’s a chance the insurance company will try to drag things out or contest your claim. They might play hardball by making you a very low settlement offer, hoping that you’ll take it because you want your money fast. Unfortunately, this is sometimes a very effective strategy, because people need a car as quickly as possible because they need to get to work and don’t want to go through the legal process. 

Please don’t fall for this trick. If you accept a settlement, you’ll be stuck with it – even if it doesn’t come close to compensating you for your damages. Yes, there’s a chance that you might have to pay for your rental car out-of-pocket while your attorney works to get you full compensation, but if you’re able to receive the full compensation you deserve, you’ll be reimbursed for paying the rental car costs up front, and it’ll be worth it in the end.

Injured in a car accident? Call us.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Macon car accident lawyer Mike Rafi as soon as possible if you’ve been involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault. Mike knows how to deal with the tactics insurance companies often use, but more importantly, he knows how to defeat them. 

If you would like to schedule a free review of your case, give Mike a call at (478) 216-1664 or use the online contact form.