12 Step Guide on What to Do After a Rental Car Accident

Sian Victoria © - Car riding down countryside road

What to Do If You Have an Accident or Damage a Rental Car

If you experience that horrifying crunch in the parking lot, your heart goes directly into your boots. Being in a minor accident in your car is bad enough, let alone in a hired vehicle. Instantly, the first thing you start thinking about is sky-high insurance excess costs, unforeseen expenses, and mountains of paperwork.

Take a deep breath. Nobody is perfect, and bumps happen all the time in cars that are rented out to customers. The key to handling such situations without completely screwing your holiday and losing money is to know exactly what to do right away.

So, regardless of whether you are sitting by the roadside right now or planning your future car rental travel, this is your simple and concise guide to dealing with an accident in the hired vehicle.

1. Check for Injuries and Get to Safety

The primary concern for the driver is the safety of humans since the metals and the fibreglass material can be replaced easily enough. As the driver, you must look for your own injuries before looking for injuries in other people who were part of the accident.

If the vehicle is operational, and you are in an area that poses danger such as a dual carriageway, then slowly shift the vehicle to a safer place. Switch on the warning signals immediately. If it is impossible to move the car, then all persons in the car must exit the vehicle and stand safely behind the barrier or on the roadside waiting for help.

2. Call the Emergency Services

Even if the accident may appear minor, it is always advisable to call the cops. In most countries, it is mandatory that you get a police report in order to receive any money from your rental car insurance or excess protection scheme.

Dial the number for the police force and inform them of your exact whereabouts. Once the police arrive at the scene, be cool, state the facts of the matter, and ask them how you can acquire a police report regarding the accident.

3. Exchange Details with Other Drivers

It is important that you do not leave the accident scene without exchanging your personal and insurance information with the other drivers. It is important that you keep calm even if the other driver seems to be mad and upset.

It is also crucial to make a note of their full names, phone numbers, addresses, vehicle license plate number, and their insurance information. Also, if any third parties were witnessing the whole thing, you can get their contact details as well.

4. Document the Scene Thoroughly

Nowadays, in the era of cell phones, you can use one of your most useful tools. Before anything is removed or relocated, be sure to take lots of pictures and videos of everything.

Be sure to take pictures of the damage done to both cars close up as well as pictures from farther away showing the placement of the cars in relation to the road lines, any skid marks on the road, and the road signs. Be sure to take pictures of the license plate numbers of both cars as well as any road signs and anything that may have caused it, such as an obstruction.

5. Avoid Admitting Fault or Apologising

The natural instinct of a human being when they find themself under stress is to apologise. Nevertheless, an expression of apology, such as "I'm so sorry" or "I didn't see you," might be taken as a legal confession of guilt or liability.

Liam, from a Denver car crash attorney, says that for guidance, let the conversation at the site remain limited strictly to information gathering and to the condition of people involved. Let the police, the rental car company, and the insurance agents determine who was to blame for the situation after looking into the facts of the matter.

6. Notify Your Car Rental Company

After securing the area and making sure that everybody is safe, the next step would be to call the car hire company as quickly as possible. Refer to the rental agreement or the key fob to get the contact information of the car hire company’s emergency or roadside assistance line.

Inform the agent about what happened and do as instructed. You will then find out if the car should be towed, where to have it fixed, or how to get another car so that you can go on your trip.

7. Review Your Insurance Coverage

Before you panic about high repair costs, make sure that you read through the terms and conditions of your rental contract, since each different type of hire contract comes with its own degree of cover, including things like Collision Damage Waiver, Third Party Liability, or Super Collision Damage Waiver.

If you have used a credit card to pay for your rental, make sure that you check if there is any sort of built-in rental car excess cover included with your card. This will help you understand your level of cover immediately and ensure that you don’t pay for things that are covered by your policy.

8. File a Report with Your Insurance Provider

In case you are using your private vehicle’s own insurance policy, excess car insurance, or your credit card insurance, it is essential to contact them about the accident right away. Most insurance policies have some deadlines when it comes to filing a claim – it can be either 24 hours or 48 hours from the time of the accident.

Contact your insurance company and provide them with the details of the accident. You need to give them all the pictures, police report and any other information you might have obtained.

9. Inspect the Vehicle Again During Handover

As soon as you deliver the rental car back to the station or deliver it to the recovery driver, insist on conducting an inspection in front of their representative. Ensure that all new damage is marked in the report, along with giving you the signed copy.

Photograph the car while you are still in the return bay and check the fuel meter and odometer readings of the car. This will ensure that no additional charges are levied on your bill for old damage or fuel not returned.

10. Keep Every Single Document and Receipt

Organisations will be your greatest ally when it comes to post-accident administration. Make sure you have a folder on your mobile or computer where you keep all of the paperwork that relates to the accident in digital form.

This includes all of the information about the original contract of hire, the police report, photos, information about other parties, the invoice for towing, medical expenses, and all of the emails that have been exchanged with the rental company.

11. Monitor Your Bank Statements

During the coming weeks after the accident, monitor the credit or debit card used to make the rental reservation very closely. The rental company will probably charge for any damage to your rental through a hold or directly from your credit or debit card without prior notice.

If there is any charge on the card which you feel does not comply with the rental agreement or the maximum limit of insurance coverage, you should contact the rental company immediately for a statement of the charges. In case they do not cooperate, you can file a dispute against the charge with your bank.

12. Follow Up Until the Claim is Closed

Never take it for granted that everything will be alright after you have handed over the keys and got back home. The problem of settling the disputes between the car rental agency and your insurance company can drag on for weeks or even months unless you follow it up properly.

Send reminders through emails to both the car rental agency and your insurance company until the matter is concluded in full. Make sure to receive a written notice confirming that everything has been sorted out and the claim has been settled.

To conclude

Figuring out what to do after an accident in a rental car may not be anyone's favourite activity, but it is definitely not the end of your vacation or business trip. With coolness, comprehensive evidence collection, and careful execution of the above actions, you safeguard your finances and avoid any additional stress. We all make mistakes and have accidents, but if you take it step by step, your documents are in order, and everything will be alright.