Uber has been at the top of the rideshare game for some time now, employing hundreds of thousands of drivers across the entire world. The appeal is being able t work your own hours and have a flexible schedule. Some prospective drivers, though, have pitfalls and obstacles preventing them from getting on the road. Uber already tries to hire as many drivers as possible and elects to have background checks go back only 7 years, and it also does not conduct in-person inspections of vehicles. To get more drivers on the road, Uber has partnered with a few different rental companies to provide relatively cheap vehicles to those who need them to do the gig. These companies include Fair, Getaround, Maven, and Hertz. Hertz is by far the most popular rental car service of the four, being located in numerous cities and at airports across the country. The costs of each company, though, are different, although Uber does provide many of the same benefits to each. So the question is, what is the cheapest car rental for Uber? Our attorneys at the Downtown LA Law Group can help you determine who to choose and what to do in the event of an accident to ensure that you receive the maximum compensation for your damages and lawsuit.

Choosing a Car Rental

You should shop around to determine what kind of car you want to rent and what kind of funds you have available. If you are looking for something as economic as possible and do not have the most money to spend, you should opt for the lowest cost rentals available. This allows you freedom and flexibility without being locked into a long-term contract. Fair, Maven, and Hertz both offer 7-day minimum rental periods that you pay for on a weekly basis, while Getaround primarily charges by the hour. Fair, Maven, and Hertz allow you to auto-renew your contract if you do not return the vehicle to the rental station up to 3 times after the initial week, which means you can rent a vehicle for 28 days on an auto-renewing contract. Getaround does allow you to book weekly rentals, but only with a specific reservation. All of the rental companies offer insurance coverage, roadside assistance, and maintenance. Some may have better mechanics and be more punctual than others, though, and it generally varies from location to location.

Costs of Rideshare Rentals

The costs associated with each rideshare rental for your Uber car can be determined by adding up all of the total expenses. There is more to the cost than the simple rental fee itself; all of the rates below exclude taxes, fees, gas, and more. Starting rates can be found below:

• Fair has a $195 weekly rental fee with an initial $195 security deposit
• Hertz has a $214 weekly rental fee with an initial $200 security deposit
• Maven has numerous fees; $199 per week for compact cars, $219 per week for sedans, $209 per week for crossovers, and $325 per week for electric vehicles
• Getaround rates start at $4/hour, but do offer weekly rates with a 4-week rental minimum at $219 per week

Uber offers some benefits and perks when selecting these rental companies and driving or the business. It can essentially greatly supplement the costs of the car, if not pay for it completely, allowing you retain all your profits. If you take 70 trips with passengers, you will receive $80 in credit. If you take 90 trips with passengers, you will receive $185 in credit. If you take 125 trips, you will receive $240 in credit. Therefore, you will need to drive anywhere between 10 and 20 trips a day to receive credit, with the higher numbers essentially covering the rental fee. With Getaround, you can drive the first hour free, up to $60. Gas for the vehicles is not included, though, and in some states, this can cause you to eat into what you earn. For example, in Georgia, gas prices are a full dollar cheaper than those in California. It is thus not as much of factor for drivers in Atlanta. Therefore, according to raw numbers, it is most cost-effective to use Getaround to drive Uber, as you can pay a theoretical minimum of $32 over 8 hours with a $4 hourly rate. In base costs, this comes out to $224 over a 7-day period – which is still pricier than the rest of the rental companies.

Rental Car and Uber Insurance Information

All of the rental companies provide insurance when you are not driving for Uber. They tend to cover damage to the car for up to $50,000 and provide third-party liability in the event of an accident. The rental companies generally have a $1,000 deductible for property damage. Once the app is on and you are waiting for a ride request, though, Uber’s insurance kicks in. You will then be covered by the company for $50,000 in liability. Upon accepting a ride and picking up a passenger, you will be covered for $1,000,000 in liability and $250,000 for uninsured/underinsured motorists. All passengers in the car as well as third-parties will be covered in this way, as well.

Common Accidents in Uber Vehicles

Rental car accidents ay happen because the driver is not careful with the vehicle and does not care if it is damaged. Because it is essentially a car used for a gig, it is not regarded with the same level of care. These drivers may also act with less inhibitions than those who own the vehicles. Therefore, accidents can happen because of speeding, running red lights and stop signs, drunk driving, failure to yield, and more. Many of the drivers are in rear-end crashes, t-bone accidents, head-on collisions, and other types of crashes. If the rental car is ruined, the company will employ the $1,000 deductible on you before paying for the losses.

Costs of an Uber Accident

If you are in an accident with a rideshare rental car, you could suffer numerous injuries and damages. Your personal items may also get lostor broken in the accident. You could owe thousands in medical bills and have no way of paying for the expenses, and you could be left severely traumatized. These costs are much higher than the costs associated with the rental car itself. Your best bet may be to file a lawsuit against the company to cover the damages you suffered, especially if you were not at fault in the incident. Our lawyers can ensure that you receive the following in compensation from a lawsuit against Uber or any of the rental car companies:

• Medical bills form the past and future
• Future and past lost income
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering

Steps to take to file a lawsuit against Uber

If you wish to sue Uber, sue Fair, sue Getaround, sue Maven, or sue Hertz for your injuries suffered in an accident, you should follow these steps to have a good foundation for your claim, to stay safe, and to ensure that you have adequate evidence to move forward.

• Go to the doctor
• Hold on to medical receipts and doctor’s notes
• Print copies of your receipt to the rental car company
• Hold on to the paperwork when you picked up the rental car
• Screenshot the Uber trip if you were driving
• Take photos of your physical injuries
• Take pictures of the scene of the accident and the damage done to the vehicles involved
• Acquire dashboard camera footage or surveillance footage if available
• Interview passengers and eyewitnesses to acquire their statements or testimonies on how the accident happened
• Request a copy of the police report if the cops showed up to investigate the accident
• File an incident report with both Uber and the rental company
• Contact an expert Uber accident lawyer to represent you

You may be overly worried about the costs of the accident or how you will pay for certain damages. Our attorneys will do all we can to win you the compensation you deserve and we will not stop negotiating a fair deal for you until we are satisfied with the result. You may not have any experience or knowledge in the legal field, and it will be in your best interest to hire an attorney who has dealt with accident claims against Uber.

How We Help You

The Downtown LA Law Group has a team of highly-rated attorneys with years of combined experience in Uber lawsuits. As rental car companies began popping up to provide cars for Uber, we took on accident cases involving them. We know the ins and outs of the law and we know the best methods to secure you the restitution you need. Our lawyers are empathetic to all clients and we treat you like family. We are also aggressive and will relentlessly pursue what you are owed by Uber or the rental agency. If we need to go to court to defend your rights in front of a judge and jury, we are willing to do so. Call our offices at (855) 339-8879 for a free legal consultation to discuss your case. We’ll tell you what we think we can win for your claim and how we believe you should proceed. If you want to work with our firm, we’ll give you our zero fee guarantee to ensure you pay no out of pocket fees for our services. We won’t get paid unless and until we win, and if we lose, we don’t get any money at all while you walk away debt-free to our firm. Get in touch with the Downtown LA Law Group today if you wish to file a lawsuit against Uber for a rental car accident.