Accidents can happen, and when they do, it is the most frustrating thing to deal with, especially if the car is rented.
And seriously, you’re on a fun trip enjoying your time with your loved ones, the last thing you would want is to get into a car accident. Also, learn about Car Rental in Málaga by reading this article.
But anyway, if you somehow get into a fatal car accident and the car you’re driving is rented, then you’re definitely in a hassle with a car company, car insurance company, and a bit more. So, what can you do to Navigating a rental car accident claim? Let’s find it out!
But First, What Are All The Rental Car Insurance You Can Buy?
Wherever you go to rent a car for your fun vacation, agencies often ask you if you want to buy insurance. And, since there is a range of insurance available, each has some distinct features and covers different claims. So, let’s now take a look at some of the major rental car insurance you can buy.
- Collision Damage Waiver: As the name suggests, CDW will cover the losses if you get into a collision. This will also compensate you if the car gets stolen. However, a waiver still does not cover the damages caused by reckless driving behavior or if some unauthorized driver drives the car.
- Personal Accident Insurance: This type of insurance compensates for all the medical and non-economic damages that you and the passengers get from the accidents.
- Personal Effects Coverage: If you have your own renters or homeowner’s insurance, then personal effects coverage may overlap with it. As it compensates the damages of your property within the car.
- Supplemental Liability Coverage: This covers your already existing auto insurance, which may help you supplement your medical expenses and property damage costs caused by a rental car accident.
So, What to Do If You Get Into A Rental Car Accident?
Handling a car accident is always challenging, and given the added layer of a rental car agreement. This just makes the process a bit more complex to navigate. So, here are a few things you should consider if your rental car gets involved in a car accident.
Make Sure Everyone At The Affected Scene is Safe
Although it might seem like common sense at first glance, making sure everyone is safe at the affected scene will only help you consider further complexities.
If everyone seems alright, make sure to pull the car over on the roadside. And, if the accident seems a bit serious, immediately call 911 and report the accident to the authorities or clear the area if you think there’s any chance of an explosion in the car.
Exchange the Information With The Parties Involved
Now that you have determined that everyone is safe at the affected scene, it’s time to exchange the contact information with the other parties involved. And, if there are any witnesses to the scene, take their information too.
This may include exchanging the name, address, phone number, and email address. Or some other crucial information like Insurance company, policy number, driving license number, vehicle registration, and license plate of the vehicle involved.
Collect All The Critical Details About The Accident
Make sure to click pictures of affected areas and prepare thorough notes about the accident. Here’s the type of information you should document.
- Everything you know about how and what caused the accident.
- The Exact location of the collision, along with the lane in which the accident occurred.
- The year, model number, and color of every car involved in the scene.
- Or any other information about the cars and the people involved.
Do You Know?
According to the Road Safety Report of the World Health Organization (WHO), road traffic alone causes approximately 1.19 million deaths and leaves around 20 and 50 million people with non-fatal injuries.
Contact Your Car Rental Company
Call your car rental company as soon as possible and inform them about the whole incident. There’s usually an emergency number located inside the glove box, or you can also navigate to your original agreement for the number.
Informing the company will help you provide the exact instructions you should follow to proceed with the situation. In most cases, car rental companies will tell you to fill out their version of the accident report, which usually consists of the information I have mentioned above.
Find Out Who Is Responsible For The Claim
If you already have an existing car insurance, understand what the claim might cover and what the car rental company is covering. And based on these understanding, you can set up your primary and secondary coverage and be ready for pickup fees such as reimbursing your deductible.
To Put It All Together
In closing, there are several stages to go through for a full claim from the insurance company, which might include documenting the whole incident to contacting the insurance company. However, the whole claim depends on who is at fault, so if it is your fault for the accident, make sure to be polite and never admit it as it can be used against you.
