Rental Car Accidents in Erie

Anyone who has ever rented a car in a city they do not live in knows how confusing it can be to navigate unfamiliar streets in a vehicle that does not feel the same to drive as the car you have at home. No matter where or what you are driving, though, you have the same duty of care to act lawfully and responsibly behind the wheel. Anyone who causes a crash by failing to do so can be held financially accountable for the consequences of their actions.

However, filing a suit over a rental car accident in Erie often works differently than suing over wrecks involving only personally owned vehicles. If you want a fair shot at getting a favorable result from this sort of claim, contacting and retaining a dependable auto collision attorney should be among your top priorities.

Recovering Through Insurance After a Rental Car Wreck

Thanks to Pennsylvania’s unique version of a no-fault car insurance system, seeking financial compensation after a traffic accident virtually always involves filing an insurance claim first before even thinking about filing a civil lawsuit. With Erie rental car wrecks in particular, though, it is likely that more than one insurance policy will be involved in the recovery process, especially if the wreck happens at high speeds or results in serious injuries.

In addition to their own personal injury protection (PIP) insurance and the at-fault driver’s liability insurance coverage, a person injured in a crash caused by someone driving a rental car may also be able to recover through optional add-on insurance purchased by the renter when they picked up the keys to their rental car. Likewise, some credit card companies offer rental car insurance to people who use credit cards to pay for rentals. Businesses whose employees rent cars while traveling for work may offer additional coverage as well.

Filing Suit Over Damages Not Covered by Insurance

Support from legal counsel can be crucial to identifying and taking full advantage of all available insurance coverage following a rental car collision in Erie. However, a skilled lawyer’s assistance can be even more important if that insurance coverage is not enough to address all the losses that a particular crash will result in and the only path towards additional recovery is filing a lawsuit directly against the person at fault for the collision.

Civil litigation can allow recovery for various forms of harm that insurance typically would not cover, including:

• Lost work income
• Physical pain
• Various forms of psychological suffering

Unlike insurance coverage, which is often available on a no-fault basis, recovery through a lawsuit is only possible if the plaintiff filing suit can prove that the defendant they are suing caused their injuries through a specific negligent act.

An Erie Attorney Can Help Handle Your Rental Car Accident Claim

Getting into a traffic accident under any circumstances can change the course of your life in the short term at a bare minimum, and potentially in the long term as well if the wreck causes you serious physical harm. Unfortunately, the path towards civil recovery after a car wreck is rarely simple or straightforward, especially if the person at fault for the incident was driving a vehicle they did not own in a place they do not live in as a permanent resident.

Rental car accidents in Erie are not the kind of thing you want to need to deal with entirely on your own. Call today to learn what an experienced auto accident lawyer can do to help in your unique situation.