Rental Car Accident Procedure

Getting into any car accident is always a headache, but there’s an extra layer of stress added when the car isn’t even yours. 

The good news? The rental car accident procedure isn’t much different than an accident in your own car. You’ll still want to exchange information with the other driver, collect any evidence like photos or video and file a police report if needed. 

The biggest difference is that you must reach out to your rental car company, and what happens next will be based on the insurance you have, whether it’s your own, or the optional one you purchased from the rental car company. 

You’ll likely want to reach out to a Phoenix car accident law firm to help you every step of the way. Firms like Gage Mathers, based in Arizona, can help you overcome every obstacle and find the right solution for your situation.

What to Do After a Rental Car Accident

Once you’ve taken all the usual first steps (like making sure everyone is okay, gathering evidence, and getting the other driver’s info), what’s next? You’ll need to contact your rental car company, who will likely have you fill out their own incident report detailing what happened.

The not so fun part comes next: dealing with insurance. Whether or not you purchased insurance through the company, you still may want to reach out to your own insurance company. They can answer a few important questions, like: 

• Will they file a report with the police, or should you?
• Do you have collision and comprehensive coverage in addition to your liability coverage? This typically extends to your rental car, too. 
• What is your deductible?

No matter who is at fault, you’ll always need to pay your deductible before the insurance companies take care of the rest.

Rental Car Accident Procedure

Determining Fault in a Rental Car Accident

So, who is at fault? Let’s break down some scenarios you could find yourself in after an accident.

• If you bought a loss damage waiver from the car rental company, you more than likely won’t be responsible for the damage to the car. If not, you’ll need to utilize your collision and comprehension coverage to take care of the bills.
• What if the other driver is at fault, though? If deemed liable, their liability insurance coverage will need to kick in and cover the cost of the repairs or replacement. For this situation, the rental agency would file a claim with the other driver’s insurance.
• Can’t figure out who’s at fault? You may need to pay out of pocket or through your insurance for the damage. Then, once fault is determined, you can file for reimbursement.

Why Get Legal Support?

With so many hoops to jump through, it helps to have someone on your side. The team at Gage Mathers Law Group can handle the details from the initial evidence gathering to the back-and-forth with insurance companies.

You shouldn’t be stuck paying for repairs or bills that aren’t your responsibility. 

Whether someone violated the Move Over law in Arizona or simply followed too closely, our team of trusted attorneys can guide you through the entire process!

About the Author

Joseph D'Aguanno

Guided by the belief that being a highly skilled specialist in a narrow field is better than being ordinary in everything, Joseph “JD” D’Aguanno leads Arizona’s best personal injury law firm in Phoenix, AZ. Having extensive cross-training in pre-litigation negotiations and trial lawyer skills, with decades of experience, JD strives to provide clients with the most valuable legal services a personal injury lawyer can provide. Under his direction, Gage Mathers Law Group is an award-winning personal injury law firm providing aggressive representation to victims of a car accident, medical malpractice, dog bite, motorcycle accident, and other injurious events. Gage Mathers is trusted by thousands of lawyers and clients throughout the country because of their reputation for getting clients the maximum compensation they deserve.

Years of experience: Over 24 years
Bar number: 020421
Location: Phoenix, AZ
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