Posted: 7/23/2012 11:30:21 AM EDT
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Ok, so this is actually the first time I've been involved in an automobile accident (I'm 28). Anyway, not to put too many details in here, but I was rear-ended while at a stop light. My JEEP is driveable but will require extensive repairs to the rear. The other driver was an employee of a Corporation driving a Corporate vehicle and received a ticket for following too closely. He's fully insured. I have full coverage myself but no rental coverage. If I go through MY insurance my Jeep will obviously be fixed faster, but I'll have to front the $500 deductible and pay out of pocket for a rental car. What are my options legally for dealing with the other driver's insurance? Can I force them to pay for a rental? How much time do they have to respond to the accident? |
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Call your insurance company and they will walk you thru it. They are going to work with the other insurance company. If you know of any auto body places that yor/family/coworkers are happy with, go ahead and get a couple of estimates. If there is a a dealer in your town/area. go ahead and get a quote from them.
Yes the other company should pay for rental. If its unsafe to drive, or has something that rubs a tire, etc, don't drive it and follow up with your/their insurance company about a rental. If tomorrow you wake up and feel a twinge or something doesn't feel right, get it checked out. Quoted:
Can I force them to pay for a rental?
Usually. |
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Quoted:
If I go through MY insurance my Jeep will obviously be fixed faster, but I'll have to front the $500 deductible and pay out of pocket for a rental car. During my first real accident ... same sort of circumstances ... Allstate (may they all rot in Hell) simply refused to reimburse me for a large portion of my up-front expenditures regarding the rental car they authorized for my use. They just wouldn't reimburse me for most of the costs. The repairs to my Audi (from the accident) took some six weeks. After the first week of rental, I had to get a different car. Like a dummy, I listened to their siren song to not worry about being reimbursed for my up-front expenditure. Lots of letters to Allstate resulted in absolutely nothing. Several lawyers advised me to just forget about it ... or go after Allstate in Small Claims Court. My cost/aggravation for going this route was too high. Older and wiser now, I'd never even show my credit card to secure a rental car for which the other (at fault) driver's insurance is responsible. I would counsel suspicion of processing your damages against your collision insurance to make your reimbursement 'easier.' Your insurance company's actions regarding recovery of the damages from the at-fault driver's insurance carrier (e.g., subrogation ), will be dictated by business factors unrelated to your financial well-being. Document everything (and I mean everything) regarding the accident and your efforts at becoming whole while the actions take place. Make a record of the time, date, full name, and gist of discussion with all the folks associated with your claim. If a problem arises, it'll likely be weeks after the accident before you need such details. |