The aftermath of a car accident is always frustrating, especially when injuries are involved. However, there are additional hoops to jump through if one of the drivers involved in the crash was in a rental car. You deserve the support of an experienced car crash attorney following a rental car accident in Prairieville.
At Tomeny | Best, our team of professionals can pursue the damages you deserve following a collision with a rental car. We can help you untangle the different insurance policies and identify who is responsible for covering your losses.
Who Is at Fault for a Rental Car Accident?
Finding fault in a rental car accident is similar to any other car crash. In order for you to be entitled to compensation, you have to show that another party’s negligence was ultimately responsible for your damages. Negligence can take many forms, such as distracted driving, failing to yield, or running a stop sign. If the driver of the rental car caused the accident through careless behavior, they may be held liable for your damages.
In most cases, the rental car company itself is not at fault. Simply providing a vehicle to a paying customer does not make the agency liable for how that vehicle is driven. However, there are exceptions. If the rental agency was negligent by renting to a driver without a license or knowingly providing a customer with a defective vehicle, it may be possible to sue that company directly.
Each case depends on its specific facts, and it’s important to evaluate whether anyone involved failed to act with reasonable care. Our attorneys will carefully review a Prairieville rental car accident in order to identify who was at fault.
Insurance and Rental Car Accidents
If you’re involved in a rental car accident caused by another driver, their liability insurance may cover your damages. In Louisiana, drivers are required to carry minimum liability coverage, which can be used to pay for injuries and property damage they cause in a crash. If the at-fault driver is properly insured, their policy should cover all of your financial, emotional, and physical losses.
In some cases, the other driver may have purchased additional insurance through the rental company. Many rental agencies offer supplemental liability coverage or collision damage waivers when a customer rents a car. If they opted into that protection, those policies may also provide a source of compensation following an accident. However, coverage details can vary, and it’s important to gather all insurance information after the crash to determine what protections are in place and how to proceed with a claim.
The Time Limit to File a Lawsuit
If a Prairieville rental car accident ultimately results in a personal injury claim, you have a limited amount of time to file suit thanks a deadline called the statute of limitations. In fact, Louisiana held the shortest statute of limitations in the country for many years. That changed on July 1, 2024, when the statute of limitations was increased to two years. When it comes to accidents that occurred before that date, the original one-year time limit still applies.
Filing a lawsuit after this deadline expires will typically lead to a dismissal with prejudice. In other words, the court will not only bring your case to an end, but it will bar you from ever pursuing compensation for your injuries in the future. Our attorneys can make sure you comply with the deadline and file your case on time.
Talk to an Attorney in Prairieville About a Rental Car Accident
The aftermath of a rental car accident in Prairieville might be complicated, but you don’t have to face it on your own. Reach out to the team at Tomeny | Best today for a private consultation.