Dealing with insurance companies can be a major drag, especially when the problem is coming from another driver’s insurance. It only gets worse in circumstances involving rental insurance. Rental insurance agencies are often slow to action and commonly ignore your attempts to contact them.
Without the assistance of a lawyer, it is not entirely unusual for a person injured in a rental car accident by another driver to be forced to pay medical expenses themselves and then pray for reimbursement from the insurance company.
What If Insurance Is Slow to Pay After a Rental Car Accident?
An example of a common problem people could face after being injured by a driver of a rental car:
You are struck by a rental car driver who ran a stop sign, and you suffer a broken leg. You manage to get a copy of the other driver’s rental agreement and renter’s insurance policy before going to the hospital. You spend the next few weeks speaking with a representative of that insurance agency while they determine fault and damages. Then, you don’t hear from them for months.
Hundreds or more people experience this every year, and are sometimes forced to pay for the medical expenses themselves, which can cause serious financial stress. In order to help expedite the process and hopefully light a fire under the insurance company to get your money, try the following:
- Make sure that you get a police statement from the accident. This can be valuable for proving fault more quickly.
- Take photos of the scene if possible. Photos of the accident and damages can show the extent of the damage caused by the accident, and may also go towards proving fault.
- Take down contact info from witnesses. If there was anyone around to see the car accident, ask them if they’d be willing to give a statement and write down their contact info.
- Ask a lawyer to draft a letter and send it to the insurance company. Simply having an attorney on your side a can do wonders.