If you have been injured in a rental car accident, it is important to know your rights and the steps you should take to protect yourself. In this article, we will discuss what to do if you are injured in a rental car accident and how to get help from a personal injury attorney.
Should you be injured in an accident involving a rental car, it’s crucial you work with an attorney to represent your case and protect your rights, Lasky Justus Law in Savannah, GA, is here for you. Contact us today.
1. Call 911
If you are injured in a rental car accident, seek medical attention immediately. If you need an ambulance, call 9-1-1 and stay on the phone until help arrives. In the moment, it is better to be safe than sorry. If you’re hurt, don’t hesitate to get medical attention–even if the accident was minor. You could have internal injuries or other issues that aren’t immediately obvious. Additionally, your body could be experiencing shock from the accident, which may hide signs of pain.
Avoid moving your vehicle until police arrive on the scene. This will make it easier to collect evidence from the scene of your accident later on.
2. Exchange Contact Info
Retrieve all necessary contact info for the other driver. You will need their name and address, as well as their phone number and license plate number. You should also get their insurance company’s name, policy number, and contact person at that company. If you can’t find this information yourself at the time of the accident, it should be noted on the police report.
3. Take Pictures of the Scene
If you can, it’s important to get photos of the scene before you leave. Take photos from different angles and make sure to include any damage to your car, as well as any other vehicles involved in the accident (including those that have been parked).
Think about these questions and answer to the best of your memory. This will help provide essential details later on.
- What was I doing before the accident?
- What was I doing after the accident?
- Was there any traffic around me when it happened? If so, who was nearby, and how fast were they going?
4. Contact the Car Rental Company
As soon as possible, alert the rental car company that one of their cars was involved in an accident. Typically, the responsibility lies on the party at fault, not the rental company. If you were the driver and are considered at fault, it is your responsibility to pay for damages, whether you or the other party was driving the rental car. If you were not at fault, the other driver is responsible.
The only time the car rental company is responsible for damages is if there is proven negligence on their part. This is rare but can be determined by a legal professional.
5. Contact Your Insurance Company
It’s up to you as the injured party (and therefore primarily responsible party) to notify your insurer as soon as possible so they can begin investigating their policyholder’s responsibility in paying for damages caused by their vehicle.
Contacting your insurance company immediately will help ensure that all relevant information is gathered before memories fade or witnesses disappear entirely–which can happen very quickly after an accident occurs.
6. Call a Lawyer to Protect Your Rights
Situations like these can be difficult to understand your rights and determine fault. If someone else is at fault for your injury, they may be liable for paying damages related to your injuries and other associated costs, like lost wages and pain & suffering. A personal injury attorney can advise you on how best to proceed with a personal injury claim against the responsible party.
If you are at fault, a professional will help you understand how to appease the rental company and the other driver while not sacrificing your legal rights.
Call Lasky Justus Law
If you’ve been injured in a rental car accident in Georgia or South Carolina, don’t delay in reaching out for help. Most victims who choose not to hire an attorney do not receive the level of compensation they’re entitled to under the law. The process can be confusing and overwhelming if you’re unsure of what to do next, but our attorneys are here for you. Get in touch with Lasky Justus Law today.