Personal Injuries Caused By Accidents Involving Rental Cars

If you have been injured in a car accident involving a rental car, either as the driver, passenger, or person hit by the rental car, please feel free to contact us today for free advice. I am an experienced Los Angeles car accident attorney who offers personalized attention to your needs.

Rental Car Accidents

There are many reasons people rely on rental cars in Los Angeles from companies such as Enterprise, Budget, Avis, Thrifty, such as traveling, using a from the airport/LAX, or having their personal car in the mechanics shop. Regardless of the reason, driving a rental car comes with a certain level of unfamiliarity and inexperience with the new type of vehicle.

An individual rental car can be used by hundreds of people in just a single year, and can accumulate many miles of travel, potentially affecting its reliability or safety. All of these factors together can work to contribute to serious car accidents that result in personal injury, or even death.

What Makes A Rental Car Accident Different From A Regular Car Accident?

Legally speaking, rental car accidents differ from regular car accidents in a few notable ways.

• Determining liability becomes more complex due to multiple parties involved, such as the driver, rental car company, and potentially others.
• Insurance coverage often combines the rental car company’s policy and the renter’s personal auto insurance.
• Rental agreements play a significant role in outlining terms and conditions that impact rights and obligations.
• Effective communication with the rental company is crucial as well.

Seeking guidance from a rental car accident attorney is essential to navigate these legal distinctions, ensure proper representation, and safeguard your rights.

Schedule A Consultation With A Los Angeles Rental Car Accident Attorney Today

As soon as you have been involved in a car crash, contact a rental car crash attorney in Los Angeles. Your rental car accident lawyer will help determine the company’s liability, which is challenging. It can be hard to stand up to the rental car company alone.

Most rental car agencies have extensive legal assistance and support and have the resources to fight back against rental car drivers who have been injured in a rental vehicle crash. As your car accident lawyer, we’ll help you fight back against big rental car agencies and provide you with as much legal support as they have.

How Are Accidents Handled With Rentals?

Regarding rental car accidents, a rental car accident lawyer plays a crucial role in navigating the legal process on behalf of you, the rental car accident victim. Your rental car accident lawyer will handle the complexities of your car accident by working closely with the rental car company and the rental car insurance company, which most people find difficult to manage on top of their already busy lives.

For several reasons, having a rental car accident lawyer communicate with the rental car company and their insurance company on your behalf is crucial. Lawyers help gather and organize important documentation and evidence from the crash, ensuring nothing is overlooked, and every important detail is factored into your case.

Your Los Angeles rental car attorney will communicate with the company to ensure all necessary documentation, such as car accident police reports and rental agreements, is obtained as soon as possible. They also engage with the rental car insurance company to initiate the personal injury claims process and negotiate a fair settlement for your injuries and damages. By managing communications with both parties, your car accident lawyer ensures that their client’s rights are protected, and their best interests are represented throughout the legal proceedings.

Additionally, a car accident lawyer will skillfully negotiate with the rental car company and insurance company, advocating for your best interests and aiming for a fair settlement that adequately compensates you. It can be hard to stand up to a rental car company or car insurance company all by yourself, as these massive entities have extensive legal assistance.  If needed, your lawyer can provide equally strong legal representation in court, and ensure you’re not being taken advantage of at any step.

If you have a serious injury, contact me BEFORE speaking to various insurance companies.

How Much Is Your Settlement Worth?

Schedule a completely free, no obligation consultation with our Los Angeles legal team to get a better idea of how much your rental car accident case may be worth.

If you’ve been involved in a rental car accident in Los Angeles and need assistance in determining the value of your rental car accident case, don’t hesitate to seek professional guidance from an accident lawyer from the Law Offices of Steers & Associates.

When evaluating the worth of your rental car accident case, our lawyers will carefully consider factors such as liability, the severity of injuries you suffered and the other party suffered, medical expenses and bills, lost wages, property damage, pain and suffering, and even more.

• Liability: When determining the value of your Los Angeles rental car accident case, lawyers first evaluate who was at fault for the car accident. If the injured party has partial responsibility for the crash, it may affect the overall value of the car accident case.
• The severity of injuries: If you or the other party were injured in the car accident, this will also determine the outcome of your case. The extent and severity of the injuries sustained by the injured party play a significant role in determining the case’s value. At the Law Offices of Steers & Associates, our lawyers consider your medical records, medical treatment plans, long-term consequences of the injuries sustained, and the impact on your daily life and ability to work.
• Medical expenses and bills: Our team will also assess the past and anticipated future medical expenses related to your rental car accident. This includes costs for any time you spent in the hospital, any required surgeries, the cost of your prescription medication, physical rehabilitation or therapy, and any necessary ongoing medical care related to the rental car accident.
• Lost wages:  If your injuries were so bad that you needed to miss work due to your injuries, your lawyer will consider the income lost during the recovery period and factor this into the value of your settlement. They may also consider potential future income loss if the injuries result in a long-term or permanent disability.
• Property damage: Your Los Angeles rental car accident attorney will also consider the cost of repairing or replacing your damaged vehicle and any other personal property damaged in the accident. This might include, for example, your laptop or other electronics, a stereo system in your car ruined by the rental car accident, and more.
• Pain and suffering: Non-economic damages, such as physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life, are just as important as any economic damages you’ve suffered. These damages are more subjective and can vary depending on the jurisdiction and the case’s specific circumstances. Your anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress are not to be overlooked after a rental car accident.

As your Los Angeles rental car attorney team, the Law Offices of Steers & Associates is well-equipped to provide you with the necessary expertise and support to hold the at-fault party accountable. Contact the Law Offices of Steers & Associates today to schedule a consultation and ensure you receive the appropriate guidance for your rental car accident case.

What Is The Statute Of Limitations For A Rental Car Accident Claim In California?

Have you been in a rental car accident in Los Angeles? Civil causes of action, such as a rental car accident claim, are subject to statute limitations. A statute of limitations establishes the timeframe within which a legal claim must be filed. These statutes typically begin counting from the date of the injury, the date of discovery of the injury, or the date when the injury should have been reasonably discovered.

If you have experienced a personal injury in Los Angeles, you can pursue compensation for your damages and serious injuries. According to California state law, there is a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury cases. This means car accident victims can initiate legal proceedings within two years from the injury date or the date of injury discovery.

However, California recognizes certain circumstances that might hinder car accident victims from seeking legal assistance within this time limit. Our legal team can examine your car accident case to determine if we can request extensions under such circumstances.

Rental car accidents in Los Angeles are typically handled very like any other car accident, with the only difference being that the rental car company is also involved in addition to the drivers. Depending on  the details of the accident, this may or may not make the legal proceedings more complicated. The only way to know is to schedule a consultation with a rental car accident attorney in Los Angeles.

When the driver of a rental car causes an accident, they are almost always going to be responsible for the damage caused. In most cases, at the time of rental there would be an agreement made between the rental agency and the driver on the terms of  insurance coverage, which can either be provided by the driver’s existing car insurance policy, if it covers rentals, or through the rental agency for an additional fee.

Liability insurance is always provided, as it is required by law, but that will only cover damage to other vehicles, people, or objects that are hit in rental car accidents. For the driver to receive reimbursement for his or her own injuries or property damage, optional comprehensive or collision insurance would need to be in place as well. Without the additional insurance coverage, any damage not covered by liability insurance would come out of the driver’s pocket.

Regardless if an insurance plan or collision liability waiver was purchased through the rental agency, the driver should also contact their own insurance company in the event of rental car accidents. Depending on the details of their policy, the coverage may be better, and the deductible smaller, equating to less out of pocket costs for the driver. There may also be a higher limit on the amount of coverage offered, which is advantageous should the estimated value of damage caused be very high, either in the form of medical bills or damage to personal property.

In the event that someone is hit or otherwise injured by someone driving a rental car, then the legal and bureaucratic process that follows can be more complicated than with a normal accident between two drivers that own their cars.

The victim will have to file a claim as a third-party with the insurance company of the rental agency, and the driver’s insurance company, should there be one. If the driver of the rental car doesn’t own a car at all, they very likely don’t have their own liability policy either, and the victim will have no other option but to turn to the rental company.

Unfortunately, this may not always turn out well for the victims of rental car accidents. Some rental agencies only carry small liability policies, with limits on how much they can possibly pay out for damages and medical bills. It’s possible that the victim’s injuries could exceed the policy’s limit. If the victim is unable to collect enough from either the driver’s personal insurance or the rental company’s insurance, he or she may have to file a lawsuit against the driver personally.

Contact a Rental Car Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one have been injured in a rental car related accident in Los Angeles, it’s possible you have a claim against those responsible. It can be challenging to stand up to a rental car agency or big rental car companies, so our legal team makes the process as easy as possible on your behalf.

Contact us today for a free consultation. Our trained Los Angeles legal professionals will do what it takes to fight for your rights and make sure that you are properly compensated

Allen Vaysberg

Allen Vaysberg practices personal injury law and works tirelessly to defeat the tactics of insurance companies and large corporations who try to deny justice and fair compensation to injured people.