Handling the aftermath of a car accident and a personal injury claim can be daunting, but what happens when the car you were driving or that hit you was a rental vehicle? Most car rental companies have varying policies when it comes to protecting both renters and their vehicles, so when you suffer a permanent injury involving a rental car, there may be a variety of factors to consider before you can gain compensation.
Carsurance.net notes that around 2 million drivers are injured permanently in auto accidents in the United States every year and that fatalities are more common on weekends, a time when car rentals tend to spike as well. Some rental crashes occur because the driver is unfamiliar with a vehicle or drove too confidently before becoming used to the way the car handled. These two factors can have a significant impact on the severity of the accident and any injuries you might incur.
If the driver of the rental vehicle is at fault for the accident, he or she will have to pay for your medical treatment out of pocket unless the rental company offered supplemental insurance and the driver chose to add it to the policy. Most car rental insurance only covers the vehicle and some repairs, so car rental businesses rarely take responsibility for personal injuries.
If the rental driver who hit you refuses fault and you must go to court, you may want to talk to the rental company and obtain proof relating to insurance and driver responsibility, as this can strengthen your case.