Every year, millions of tourists and visitors flock to California to experience the what we have to offer. Many tourists rent cars to travel to destinations around the state. But what happens if rental cars driven by visitors and tourists are involved in traffic accidents, resulting in lesiones graves and damage to vehicles? Essentially, there will be legal repercussions in one way or another. You may have been hit by a driver who was operating a rental car, or you may have been in a rental car that was struck by a negligent driver. No matter what, the presence of an accident can lead to compensation if you can prove that you were a victim of negligent action. Our team of car rental accident lawyers at the Downtown LA Law Group will be able to provide you with the assistance you need and representation you deserve to win you your rightful restitution.

Rental Car Company Liability for Car Accident – Suing a Rent a Car Company

Generally, rental car companies will have insurance policies that are available for purchase to supplement or even override your own personal policy. The most common form of insurance offered is a collision damage waiver, which will free you of any responsibility of fixing the car for any cosmetic damages accrued in a crash. There are other, more expensive policies available that are also more expansive. They may have liability coverage, which will cover you and your passengers for up to a certain amount of money in the event of any injuries; personal belongings insurance in case any items are stolen or broken; and more. Insurance adjusters are trained to provide you with the lowest settlement amount for your injuries. If you were injured in an accident with a rental car, you may choose to pursue compensation from the rental agency’s insurance provider. However, you will only be able to do so in certain situations. Rental car agencies are not liable for the damages that occur in accidents. Therefore, you cannot sue a rental agency if a customer of theirs hit you. However, the company does have certain standards of care that it must adhere to when providing rented vehicles. These standards include:

• Age of the customer: Prospective renters must be over the age of 21 to rent a vehicle from an agency. If a fully-licensed individual is allowed onto the road with a rental car, the company can thus be held liable for any accident the underage individual gets into.
• License of the customer: All customers must have valid driver’s licenses that identify them. If a driver has no license, he will be barred from renting a vehicle.
• Insurance of the client: Customers of rental car agencies must have valid insurance. They cannot simply purchase what the insurance company offers.
• Vehicle status: Rental car agencies have dozens of cars available and must have a high turnover rate, as many vehicles are not in use for longer than a handful of days. Thus, each vehicle should be deemed road-legal and free from defects and potential hazards. Agents must inspect the cars when they are returned.

Therefore, a rental agency can be liable for injuries from an accident if it breaches any of these standards. In the case of vehicle status, all cars should be free from hazards. A defect with a car may be present well before the car is used at the agency, but the agency must make sure that it is not problematic for others to operate. If the car has a problem and it is simply redistributed to another customer and an accident occurs, the agency can be held wholly responsible. The same is true if an accident happens when an agent allowed an individual who was underage, uninsured, or unlicensed to operate one of the cars. If you wish to learn more about the liability of rental car agencies and how to sue, call our firm today for more help.

AVIS Rentals – Rideshare and Food Delivery Accidents

Some rental companies are partnering directly with rideshare companies to make rental vehicles available to drivers. This rental option is only available for eligible drivers. Rideshare drivers can book their AVIS rentals directly on their Uber app. These rentals all come with liability insurance coverage included in the price. Therefore, drivers will not have to purchase separate personal or rideshare coverage. AVIS rental vehicles booked with Uber can be used to drive for Uber and for food delivery with UberEats.

In general, this coverage meets the state minimum insurance requirements. In addition, this coverage generally does not apply at the same time that Uber’s normal insurance applies (i.e., while the driver has the rideshare app on and waiting for a ride and while the driver is on an active ride). This means that the Avis coverage covers whenever the driver is not online and essentially doing personal driving.

An accident involving AVIS rental while being used during rideshares could be covered by either the insurance provided by Avis or by the insurance provided by Uber, depending on the details surrounding the incident (that is, whether it occurred while the rideshare app was on or off).

There are similar rental programs for Lyft, DoorDash, Grubhub, and Postmates as well. Although the terms for these programs are likely to be different. For further information, contact the experts at our law firm today.

What Should I Do If I Have Been Involved in a Rental Car Accident?

It may be confusing and frustrating to be involved in a rental car accident. You might not know what to do, who to call, or how to go about filing any report. This feeling can be worsened if you were severely injured. As long as you follow these steps, you will be safe and protected and able to file a sufficient lawsuit after you have gathered your evidence.

• Safety always comes first. If you were injured, contact emergency medical help immediately. You should get checked out regardless, as some injuries may not show up immediately, partially because of adrenaline. You should also do so to make sure you have no gap between the injury and treatment, which can be used to cast doubt on your lawsuit.
• Take pictures and gather evidence from the other motorist. If there are witnesses, ask them for their information as well. You may get pictures of the scene of the accident, your injuries, the damage to the vehicles, other angles, and more.
• If you are the driver of the rental car, notify the rental car company and ask them what their policy is. You can also file an incident report.
• Ask the rental car company for a copy of all important information, including the rental agreement, the company’s insurance coverage, the accident report, and more.
• Contact a local rental car auto accident attorney regarding your case.

To file a claim against the rental car agency, reach out to our law firm today.

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Common Causes of Rental Car Accidents on California Roads

There are many ways that car accidents happen. Although many are shared by both tourists and locals alive, some are more likely to occur than others are. Examples include:

• Driver does not understand the traffic rules and roadway nuances of the visiting location
• Inattentive and distracted driving, whether by texting, calling, using a GPS, or sightseeing
• Drunk Driving – all too often, tourists drink and use illicit drugs during their stays, which can cause them to operate the vehicle with no inhibitions and no reflexes or reaction time
• Poor roadway conditions, such as fog, rain, broken street lights, defective streets, and more
• Rental Car Liability, which is the failure to properly maintain, inspect, or repair the vehicle as the rental car agency should have done
• Defective tires, which can lead to tire blowouts or broken axles
• Defective brakes, which may cause brake failure and rear end collisions

Earnings from a Rental Car Accident Lawsuit

If you have been involved in a rental car accident in California, contact our Los Angeles Personal Injury Lawyers at the Downtown LA Law Group.  We can help you obtain compensation for your damages, including the following:

• Medical Costs – Hospital and emergency room visits, surgery fees, ambulatory transportation
• Future Medical Costs – Medication and prescription drugs, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and extended home care
• Lost Wages – Past and future loss or reduction of wages due to a disability or recovery time
• Pain and Suffering – Emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Punitive Damages – donde possible, which are additional forms of monetary compensation that are handed out in times of gross negligence or an intention to cause harm; however, these are difficult to win

Our California Auto Accident Law Firm Can Help The Downtown LA Law firm has an esteemed reputation for protecting the rights of victims injured in traffic accidents on the streets of Los Angels, San Diego, Orange County and surrounding communities. 

We are available 24hrs per day 7 days per week – call us anytime and speak to an Attorney regarding your case. If you are in need of a free legal consultation, reach out to us. All consultations are completely private and confidential; no sensitive information or case details will be shared elsewhere.

We promise to aggressively pursue your rightful compensation. We will also give you our zero fee guarantee that you won’t have to pay us a single dime for our services. We will only get paid if we win your case, and if we lose, we get nothing at all. The insurance company will over your legal fees if we win. You will rest assured that you won’t have to touch your own savings to pay us regardless of the outcome of the case.

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¿Sufrió un accidente en un auto rentado? Sin duda alguna, puede ser muy difícil el averiguar como proceder. Usted puede demandar después de verse involucrado en un accidente en un auto rentado. Si esta listo para hablar con nuestros abogados y aprender mas sobre su derecho a someter su demanda, no dude en contactarnos lo mas pronto posible. Nuestros abogados están listos para manejar su caso y ayudarle a ganar la recompensa que se le debe. ¡Llámenos ya!

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