Being involved in a vehicle collision is traumatic enough. The terrifying moment of the crash will replay in your head over and over. The sound of metal slamming against metal is something you don’t forget easily. You may even have to live with long-term injuries as a result of the crash. To add insult to injury, the proceeding insurance process is often complex and tiresome.
If the accident wasn’t your fault, the guilty party’s insurance company is liable for all the damages. These damages will include repairs to the car, health costs, and even a replacement rental car. Unfortunately, it’s rarely as straightforward as it seems! Even if the accident was categorically not your fault, the insurance company may fight you. In many cases, they won’t reimburse or pay for the cost of a courtesy rental car. Remember, insurance companies want to pay out as little as possible. If you’ve found yourself in that position, here are some of the reasons why they might be holding back the money. More importantly, here’s how to deal with it.
They’re disputing the fault
In many cases, insurers have no option but to assume all blame and damages. However, if there are any small discrepancies, they’ll use it as leverage. They may make a counterclaim based on comparative negligence. In other words, they’ll come back to you and your insurer, claiming that the accident wasn’t 100% their client’s fault. It’s very difficult to prove 100% blame, so there is often a small point of leverage. In their counterclaim, they may say that they’ll accept all the majority of the damages, but won’t pay for the rental car.
Your car is in the repair shop for longer than they deem necessary
One of the most common issues here is the length of repair. When your car is involved in an accident, it must be fixed and treated by professional mechanics. Depending on the amount of damage, it could be anything up to a month in the repair shop. If the guilty party’s insurers believe that the repair job took longer than necessary, they may refuse to pay. Alternatively, they’ll payout the amount they deem is ‘reasonable’. Instead of 30 days rental, they’ll reimburse you for 15. Retrospective payments like this are often difficult to deal with, unless it has been agreed up front.
Contact a lawyer
In instances like this, it’s worth seeking the advice of a lawyer. At this point, they can step in and review the counterclaim by the insurance company. In some cases, all it takes is a lawyer’s name to scare off the insurers, and they’ll quickly pay out.
Speak to the team at Acorn Rentals
The team at Acorn Rentals offer free courtesy cars to everyone who have been involved in an accident. When it’s not your fault, they seek payment from the guilty party’s insurers instead. As you can imagine, they’ve had their fair share of experience dealing with stubborn insurers! They know how to negotiate effectively with insurance companies, and make sure you get that money back.
Don’t let a stubborn insurance company bully you out of your costs and expenses!
