Omaha Rental Car Collision Attorneys

Who Is Responsible for Damages in an Omaha Crash Involving a Rental Car?

Things can get complicated if you are involved in a collision while driving a rental car. You may have questions about who is responsible for damages. If you bought the insurance offered by the rental car company, you may wonder exactly what it covers and what rights and protections you have. Several factors may come into play in a rental car crash.

Who Caused the Wreck?

When a traffic crash occurs in Nebraska, the negligent party is generally responsible for damages. If the driver of the other vehicle clearly caused the collision, for example, by running a red light, speeding, or drinking and driving, there may be a clear case of liability. If cause and liability are not so obvious, you may need an experienced Omaha car accident lawyer to investigate the crash, secure evidence to support your claim, negotiate skillfully with insurance companies on your behalf, and fight for the compensation you deserve in court, if necessary.

Did You Purchase Rental Car Insurance?

Car rental companies offer insurance at the time you rent the car. If you bought the rental car insurance, the degree of protection it provides will depend on the type of coverage you were offered. Coverage offered by rental car companies may include liability, personal injury, and waivers protecting you from costs in the event of damage to the rental vehicle. Some of this coverage may overlap with your personal auto insurance coverage. Call the rental car company as soon as possible after a crash and review the rental documents to determine how much protection the rental car insurance will provide.

Are You Covered Through Your Credit Card Company?

Did you use a credit card to pay for your car rental? If so, you may have coverage through your credit card company. Many card companies include rental car coverage. However, you must pay for the car rental using that particular card for the coverage to be in effect.

How Do Rental Car Collisions Occur?

You could be involved in a crash in a rental car as easily as you could be in your own vehicle. In fact, collisions in rental cars may be slightly more likely to happen, because drivers are unfamiliar with the vehicle and may be on a trip or vacation in an unfamiliar location. Like wrecks in other vehicles, rental car crashes have a number of contributing factors, including:

• Distracted driving
• Drug or alcohol impaired driving
• Drowsy driving
• Aggressive driving
• Speeding
• Following too closely
• Failure to obey traffic signs and signals
• Inexperienced teen drivers

How Do You Claim Compensation After a Rental Car Crash?

Report a rental car collision so there will be a police report on file. If the other driver caused the crash, you may be able to recover compensation through that driver’s insurance company. You will also want to contact the rental car company to report the incident and to find out what protection the rental car insurance will provide, if you purchased it. Notify your own insurance company of the incident, as well, as coverage may overlap.

Your best chance of recovering full and fair compensation is to have an experienced Omaha personal injury attorney by your side. Since 2006, our firm has been providing real solutions to real people. We are committed to holding negligent parties responsible for the damage they have caused when it involves serious personal injury. If you have been hurt in a rental car wreck, call Bottlinger Law L.L.C. at (402) 505-8234 to schedule a free consultation.