If you are visiting Johnstown or if your personal vehicle is unavailable, you may choose to rent a car. There are a variety of rental companies in the area that offer short-term and long-term rentals. While you can use your own auto insurance when operating a rented vehicle, these companies also offer their own coverage and upgrade packages to cover certain damages and liability in the event of a wreck.
However, understanding how this coverage works and what to do following a collision in a rental car could be overwhelming, especially if you are suffering serious injuries. Let a Johnstown rental car accident lawyer help you. Our talented car crash attorneys could review your case and help you determine how to best move forward.
Most rental services offer insurance coverage for renters to purchase. However, people can also elect to use their own personal insurance policies. Some rental companies will require proof of insurance for a renter to be able to decline the coverage the company offers.
Collisions involving a rented vehicle, whether it is driven by the claimant or the defendant, can quickly become complicated with respect to which insurance applies and what coverage amounts those policies provide. Fortunately, a capable Johnstown lawyer could gather information regarding who owns the car, the rental company’s policies, and all applicable insurance coverage documents.
An attorney could also obtain the declarations pages along with the rental policy language to determine which policy has priority for paying for medical expenses and property damage and whether the policy provides underinsured motorist coverage (“UIM”), which could enhance the victim’s recovery.
Many people who rent vehicles do so because they are visiting the area. As such, it is very common for these people to be unfamiliar with the roadways and landscape. For this reason, they may be distracted by a GPS or map as they try to navigate these roadways. In other cases, they may be driving too fast or unfamiliar with how the weather can impact the quality of the roads.
Furthermore, since the vehicle is rented, it is also likely that the driver will be unfamiliar with the operation of the vehicle. The driver may take his or her eyes off the road to figure out the radio, windshield wipers, or other mechanics of the vehicle, causing them to strike another motorist, cyclist, or pedestrian. Whether the injured party was operating the rented vehicle or struck by someone else driving a rental car, it is important he or she speaks with a qualified Johnstown rental car accident attorney to improve his or her chances of a favorable outcome.
The injuries that are going to be associated with a rental car accident can be the same as those associated with any other type of car accident. The injuries a person sustains depend on the circumstances of the wreck. For instance, the speed of the vehicles and where the impact occurred.
Common injuries in most vehicle wrecks include, but are not limited to:
If a collision with or in a rental vehicle resulted in someone’s death, the surviving family members could potentially file a wrongful death claim with the help of a rental car accident lawyer in Johnstown.
Whether you got in a wreck while driving a rented vehicle or if the at-fault driver was renting a car at the time of the collision, these cases can quickly become complicated. Determining which insurance coverage applies to which of your losses could be confusing, especially if you are suffering from serious injuries.
Fortunately, a Johnstown rental car accident lawyer could help you recover the financial compensation you are owed so you can focus on healing. Call Marcus & Mack today to learn more.
