In popular tourist destinations like Florida, the odds of encountering a motorist who is driving a rental car is probably higher than you might think. That also means that being in a car accident with someone who is driving a rental car is higher than normal. What happens if someone driving a rental car causes your crash? Can you still get compensation?
If the other driver has purchased supplemental rental car insurance, then you should be able to seek damages through that policy. If the driver does not purchase supplemental rental car insurance, then the driver’s privately-owned auto insurance policy may apply. Florida is also a personal injury protection (PIP) insurance state, so some of or all of your medical bills caused by an accident may also be covered by your own insurer, even if you are not liable for the accident. There are certain exceptions to this though.
Rental Car Insurance Coverage
Rental car companies always offer insurance policies to the people who rent their cars. Under Florida liability laws, rental insurance must provide up to $10,000 in bodily injury coverage and property damage coverage per accident as a minimum. Although extra coverage is usually offered, it is rarely purchased. To this end, the average coverage provided by a rental insurance policy is typically not enough to cover all the damages suffered by motorists in bad car accidents.
In fact, a rental company does not have to sell rental car insurance before being able to close a rental contract with a new customer. To try to save money, many people renting a car do not purchase any specialized insurance from the rental agency at all.
Private Auto Insurance Coverage
In the likely event that a rental car driver hits you and has no rental car insurance, then you can still seek damages through their auto insurance coverage.
UM/UIM Insurance Coverage
Lastly, you might be able to collect damages through your own uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) insurance coverage after an accident with a rental car driver. UM/UIM can provide additional damages for your catastrophic injuries that the insurance policy caps of the other driver did not. It is also useful if the rental car driver flees the scene of your crash before you can identify them.
If you need help figuring out who can pay for your damages after a crash with a rental car driver, do not hesitate to contact Todd Miner Law®️. We are a personal injury law firm located right here in Orlando, so we know firsthand about rental car drivers, tourists, and accidents on the busy streets and highways of the city. Trust your case and all of its steps to us by calling 407-214-4743 now.
