Driving safely can be difficult enough when you are in your own vehicle and on roads you are intimately familiar with. If you are in an unfamiliar vehicle in an unfamiliar place, you are much more likely to end up causing a serious traffic accident than most other people would be under the same circumstances — and unfortunately, both those descriptors apply to just about all the rental car drivers who move through the area each day.
Rental car accidents in Avondale can be tricky to handle proactively, both because of the severity of injuries that may result from them and because of the various hoops you may need to jump through to get paid for your injury-related losses. Fortunately, you have help available with every step of the recovery process from the car accident lawyers at Phillips Law Group, where we have more than 30 years of experience pursuing cases like yours all over the Phoenix metro area.
What to Do After Crashing Into a Rental Car
No matter what type of vehicle they are driving or who the owner of that vehicle is, everyone involved in a motor vehicle accident in Arizona is required to stop at the scene, render aid to anyone who needs it, contact law enforcement if serious property damage or injury has occurred, and exchange insurance information with everyone else. Failing to do any of these things can lead to criminal charges for “hit-and-run” and can also interfere with a potential future civil claim over the incident.
With Avondale rental car accidents in particular, it can also be vital to get as much information as possible about the vehicle(s) involved, especially what company they were rented from and whose name is on the rental agreement. If this information is not readily available, details like the car’s make, model, and license plate number can help a qualified legal professional find out who should be liable for the wreck later on during civil proceedings.
Who Is Legally Liable for a Rental Car Wreck?
On that note, it is worth emphasizing that rental car companies in Avondale are rarely liable under civil law for accidents involving their vehicles. The only exceptions would be if an employee of the rental company was the one driving the vehicle negligently or if renting the vehicle out in the first place constituted a legally negligent act — for example because the driver who picked up the keys was visibly drunk at the time.
That said, rental car companies often offer add-on insurance coverage, which some renters may choose to pay for before picking up their keys and which may provide additional compensation to someone injured in a wreck caused by or involving that driver. Barring that, the person who rented the car should have their own car insurance to file a claim against or, if they do not, personal assets to seek as compensation through a civil lawsuit.
Contact an Avondale Attorney for Help With a Rental Car Accident Case
The fact that someone is driving a rental car rather than their own personal vehicle does not change the “duty of care” they have to act lawfully and responsibly on the road. Anyone who violates that duty and causes a wreck as a direct result can be held financially accountable for the consequences of that wreck, either personally or through insurance associated with them or the vehicle itself.
If you want to take legal action over a rental car accident in Avondale in which you were recently injured, a car accident lawyer from Phillips Law Group can give you the custom-tailored legal support you need. Call today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our local team members.
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