What To Do If You Were in a Rental Car Accident?
What Should You Do if You Have an Accident in a Rental Car?
Car accidents are scary regardless, but it can be a bit more overwhelming if you have an accident in a rental car. Thankfully, you can handle an accident in a rental car much like you would if you had an accident in your own car. There are just a few extra things you will need to keep in mind. Here are some helpful tips for what you should do if you have experienced a rental car accident. Visit DriveNow to rent a car in Sydney or any other city your visiting in the near future.
Make Sure Everyone is Okay
The first thing you want to do in an accident is to make sure that you and everyone are okay and that there are no injuries. If anyone appears to be injured, you want to call the police immediately for help.
File an Accident Report
The next thing you want to do is file an accident report with the police department. When filing an accident report, you want to make sure you document any damage to your car and any other cars or property. If you have a phone camera or digital camera, you should take as many photos as possible to best document the damage. After you call the police department, someone will come to also document any damage, as well as to write up a report about the accident.
Contact a Tow Service if Necessary
If your car or any other vehicles need to be towed, you will need to contact a towing service. You should keep a record of the name, phone number, and address of the towing company for your records and to give the rental company.
Call the Rental Company
After you have filed a report of the accident, you want to call your rental car company to let them know about the accident and to see what they need from you for their own records. There may be a specific number for the rental company to report accidents which may be found with the information the company provided you.
Inquire About a Replacement Vehicle
You may be able to get a replacement rental car from the rental agency to use. So, be sure to ask the agent you speak with about your options. If the damaged car is still drivable, you may be able to take it to the rental agency and pick up a replacement rental car right away.
Tips
1. Get rental insurance. Your own car insurance policy may not cover damage to a rental car, so make sure you get rental insurance when you are renting a car.
2. Get extra estimates. If you need to get the rental car repaired on your own, make sure you get extra estimates for repairs, just as you would if you had gotten into an accident with your own car. This can end up saving you a lot of money.
3. Get all of your belongings. Before the rental car is towed or you need to return it to the rental company for a replacement car, make sure you get all of your belongings out of the car.
