You never know what can happen in just a few seconds.
You’re driving to the airport and someone rear-ends your rental car 500m before you reach your destination.
What’s even worse, the negligent driver injures you.
Now, what’s your recourse? Who will pay for your medical expenses?
Getting into a car accident is stressful enough, but if you’re injured while driving a rental car, you’re probably even more worried about the consequences.
In general, the risk of an accident may be higher when you drive a rented car away from home.
You’re unfamiliar with the car and with the area. Where can you turn for help?
An out of state car accident while in a rental vehicle can become complicated because, apart from you and the other driver, there are other parties involved, such as the rental agency and its insurance company.
So understanding which laws apply to your car accident is not easy, especially because legislation can prove to be intricate at times.
As if that’s not enough, you will likely be dealing with three (or more) insurance companies.
The most important thing to remember is that if you don’t have a good understanding of car accident coverage, you may be giving up valuable rights and money.
To help you with that, this article covers the basics of injury claims after getting injured in an out of state rental car accident.
You Get PIP Insurance When You’re Driving a Florida Rental Car
If you’re hurt while you’re traveling from another state and driving a rental car in Florida, you may get the rental car’s personal injury protection (PIP) coverage.
It’s important to know that Florida is a no-fault state.
What this means is that, when you live in Florida, you’re required to hold $10,000 worth of PIP. For damages that are up to $10,000, PIP will cover them no matter who was at fault in the car accident.
PIP coverage is also known as no-fault insurance.
In a nutshell, the rental car’s PIP insurance can pay up to $10,000 of your medical bills and lost wages.
Sadly, not all accidents can be covered only by PIP.
If you’re severely injured and your damages exceed $10,000, you may need to file a personal injury claim.
You are Covered by Your Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Insurance
If you live in a state other than Florida and you’re driving a rental vehicle in Florida, your uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) insurance on your out of state auto policy should cover you.
A word of caution: if you settle with the driver who injured you and you don’t follow a particular UM/UIM claim procedure, you may lose the right to make a UM/UIM claim.
You can also lose your UM/UIM claim if the settlement release with the at-fault driver’s insurer is poorly worded.
You Can Settle With the At-Fault Driver
The fault is a primary concern when it comes to car crashes.
Finding out who was at fault in causing the accident is essential for determining how much you can settle for.
Sometimes, both drivers could be at fault for the accident.
When the other driver is at fault for the accident and your injuries, you can file a personal injury claim against them.
One of the first things you should do is begin assessing the value of all the damages you’ve incurred after you’ve suffered injuries in the car crash.
“You can keep a close record of all medical bills, lost wages due to missed days at work, and any other expenses you have accumulated as a result of the injuries,” informs Sean M. Cleary, a highly experienced Miami car accident lawyer.
Having these documents can help you when you build your personal injury claim.
About the author:
Sean M. Cleary is the founder and principal attorney at The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary, personal injury law firm based in Miami, Florida. Sean represents individuals injured in car accidents, truck accidents, rollovers or other types of motor vehicle accidents.