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A car accident may have done serious damage to your vehicle. Most car accidents result in some type of property damage that needs to be repaired. The damage may be severe enough that you may no longer be able to drive your car.
In practically all cases, you should be able to get a rental car in South Carolina after an accident. Who pays for the rental car can be determined in the days following the accident, often as part of the legal process.
You cannot afford to wait to get a rental car after a crash. If you have questions about navigating the aftermath of a collision, contact the experienced Rock Hill car accident lawyers at Schiller & Hamilton today.
Can You Get a Rental Car After an Accident?
One of the most pressing issues that you may face after a car accident is a lack of transportation when your car has been damaged or totaled. Even if you are seriously injured enough that you cannot drive, your family members may need to take you to doctor’s appointments. If your car has been seriously damaged, you may need a rental car for a considerable amount of time.
These expenses can add up quickly, and they are not something that you want to have to pay out of your pocket.
Whether you get the rental car immediately depends on your situation. You still need to get around in the meantime. Thus, you should probably not delay getting a rental car because it always helps to have transportation.
If you have rental car coverage as part of your auto insurance policy, this is something that you have already paid for, and it is a benefit that you should accept. However, insurance companies do not always make it easy for you to utilize all aspects of your policy, even if you have already paid for it.
It Is Not Always Immediately Certain Who Pays for the Rental Car in SC
Which insurance company pays for the rental car depends on who is at fault for the accident. If the other driver was at fault, their insurance company would be the one responsible for paying for the vehicle. You can expect them to place sharp limits on what you can get, and they would certainly not cover a rental car.
If you were at fault, your insurance company would cover the cost of the rental car. It is not a cost that you would need to cover out of your pocket because it is part of your insurance policy. Similarly, you can expect your insurance company to be difficult about what they may cover and what limits there are.
An insurance company would provide you with a rental car, while they determine whether to pay for repairs to your vehicle or declare it a total loss.
The insurance company would probably limit the number of days that you can get a rental car. However, they may be flexible if your car is being repaired. Nonetheless, you may be responsible for paying for a rental car on your own after a certain amount of time. This is an area where you may need to negotiate with the insurance company, possibly with the help of an experienced car accident lawyer.
Rental Car Compensation Depends on Who Was at Fault for the Accident
The matter of who pays for your rental car is not always that simple. Liability is not always immediately apparent after a car accident. The two insurance companies may take a long time to determine who was at fault. They may even need to submit the matter to arbitration.
In the meantime, you still need a car. You may need to turn to your own car insurance company first, and they would cover the expense.
If the other driver is determined to be at fault, then your insurance company would be reimbursed for what they spent. You may need to lay the money out of your pocket, even though you are going through a difficult financial situation. In that event, you would be reimbursed by one of the two insurance companies at some point in the future.
After you have been in a car accident, you may be facing various expenses that can add up in a hurry. If you were not at fault for the accident, there’s no reason why any of the expenses should come from your pocket. Even if you have to pay for them temporarily, you should be compensated for them in the long run.
How Your Car Accident Lawyer Helps You
An experienced car accident lawyer can help you recover the full expenses and damages from your car accident.
If we represent you, we can gather the evidence that establishes your legal right to financial compensation while proving that the other driver was negligent. Second, we’ll find out the value of your case, so you know how much money to seek from the insurance companies.
We’ll negotiate compensation with the insurance company, advising you to reject any settlement that does not fully pay you what you are owed. Without the assistance of a car accident lawyer, you may have to come away with no compensation at all or a reduced check that does not even come close to paying for your injuries, and your temporary and permanent transport.
Contact a South Carolina Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one were hurt in a car accident, you cannot afford to wait to hire an experienced attorney to represent you. The aggressive and dedicated lawyers at Schiller & Hamilton are standing by and ready to go to work for you. If you have questions about who’ll pay for your rental car post-accident, talk to us.
The first step is to contact us to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our attorneys. You can send this message through our online form, or you can call us 24/7 at 803-902-4583.