Rental Vehicle
If you have been involved in an accident and your car has been damaged, you may be on the lookout for a rental vehicle. However, there are some simple aspects you need to understand before you obtain a rental vehicle. Read on to find out more.
If I have wrecked my vehicle, is it possible to get a rental vehicle?
If you have been involved in a single car accident where you have ended up wrecking your car, you would need to first find out if your vehicle is worth repairing or not. An appraiser will look over your car. If your car is found worth enough to be sent for repairing and you have the rental coverage for it, you will be allowed to get a rental vehicle till the time it takes for your car to be repaired. In case your car cannot be repaired, you will not be issued a rental car and the insurance adjuster would settle the claim on your car for what it is worth at that point of time.
If I was not at fault in a traffic accident, can I demand a rental vehicle?
It is important to remember that the fault of either car driver in a traffic accident cannot be established at the site of the accident unless there is a police officer who witnessed who was at fault. Hence, even if you feel that you are not at fault, you should inform your insurance agent as well as that of the other car driver about the accident. An insurance adjuster from either insurance company will look over your car and then accordingly settle your claim for the damage in case it cannot be repaired or allow you to be issued a rental vehicle till the time your car gets repaired and returned to you. In case either insurance company take time to issue a rental vehicle, you also have the option of renting a vehicle, by paying from your pocket and then you can claim for reimbursement from either of the insurance companies later on.
When I am issued a rental vehicle, what level would it be?
Most auto insurance policy norms that cover issuing of rental vehicles in case of a car accident state that the car owner must be issued a rental car that is of the same level as the car that was being driven before the accident. While you may choose to drive around in a similar vehicle, you also have the option of paying some extra fee for an upgraded rental car.
If I am issued a rental vehicle after an accident, do I need to pay for it?
The answer to this depends upon who was at fault when the accident happened. You may get a free rental vehicle from certain body shops till your car is repaired. Your insurance company will pay for the rental in case of a single vehicle accident involving your car or in case you were at fault in the accident involving your car and another vehicle. If it is found that the other driver was at fault, then his insurance company will bear the rentals for both his car and yours. But all this can happen only if your auto insurance policy has rental vehicle coverage. If not, you end up paying the rental.
What is the duration for which I can use the rental vehicle?
There is a chart that the insurance industry uses to determine how long you can have the rental vehicle. In other words, it uses a system that speaks of how many days the body shop would take to repair your car for the damage caused to it and allows you the use of the rental vehicle for those number of days. Since the actual number of days required by the body shop to repair your car may turn out to be more, you can get the rental vehicle for more days and then prove likewise to your insurance company to settle up for difference in rental amounts. Alternatively you could also consider using the loan vehicle program that the body shop offers if it has one.
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