When driving, you are required to watch out for road hazards, pedestrians, and other nearby drivers. However, you never know if a driver is familiar with the car he or she is driving, such as rental cars. This places you at risk for injuries. Fortunately, if you are involved in an accident with such a driver, you may be able to recoup monetary damages with the help of a Western PA rental car accident lawyer. To learn more, or for help with filing a claim, call today to schedule a free consultation with a dedicated auto wreck attorney.
When rental cars are involved in an accident, the biggest issue that must be determined is whether the vehicle qualifies as a private passenger vehicle under the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law.
The indications that would qualify a rental vehicle as a rental car include if someone else owns the vehicle and whether the driver is paying them to use it. However, this is different from asking a friend to borrow a car, which would be permissive use of a private passenger vehicle. In cases of permissive use of a private passenger vehicle, they would still be bound by the requirements under Pennsylvania law.
When a person visits a rental car service and pays to use a car, the vehicle would no longer be considered a private passenger vehicle, but instead a commercial transaction. Although there are some requirements under the law that would apply to private passenger vehicles, those do not apply to rental cars. To learn more about the Pennsylvania laws around rental cars, call a seasoned Western PA accident attorney.
When a person rents a car, they have the option to buy additional insurance. This purchase would cause a claim to involve multiple levels of insurance, since the insurance provided by the rental company may not cover all of the expenses, in which case the renter’s personal auto insurance policy may be applicable as well. The most important thing to identify is the driver of the rental car. Once that information is obtained, the claimant may then begin to investigate which insurance company would be involved.
One of the more common themes in rental car accidents is the driver’s lack of familiarity with the vehicle he or she rented or the roads in the area. In some cases, the driver may not be aware of how the car steers, the sensitivity of the breaks, and how to use turn signals. Rental car drivers could also become distracted by trying to figure out the mechanics of their car while driving. As a result, they could rear-end someone at a light or a stop sign. In such instances, reaching out to a knowledgeable rental car crash lawyer in Western PA could help an injured person seek compensation for their damages.
If you are involved in a collision with a rental car driver, you may be entitled to monetary damages. However, in order to hold the rental car drive responsible for the accident, it is recommended to work with an experienced attorney familiar with these types of cases.
To find out if you are eligible to receive monetary compensation, schedule a free consultation with a Western PA rental car accident lawyer at Marcus & Mack today.
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