Rental Car Accidents
Motor Vehicle Crash Lawyers Serving the Memphis Area
At any given time, there are millions of rental cars on the road across the United States. People rent cars, trucks, and vans from companies such as Enterprise, Hertz, and Avis if their car is wrecked, in the shop, or if they need a car for travel. In a rental car accident, there are special considerations that must be taken into account in order for a victim to recover for personal injuries and property damage. At Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, our Memphis car accident attorneys may be able to represent you if you sustained damages in a motor vehicle collision. We are the largest plaintiff’s personal injury law firm based in Tennessee, and we have represented car wreck victims in the Memphis area for more than 30 years.
Steps to Take if You Are Involved in a Rental Car Accident in Memphis
You should first call the police to the scene. Tennessee law requires drivers to stop at the scene of an accident or as close to the scene as possible. Failure to stop could result in the police citing the offender for leaving the scene of an accident or hit and run. You should also exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver.
Following a rental car accident in Memphis or Shelby County, an experienced lawyer can help you navigate the legal process, which begins with properly investigating the accident and surrounding circumstances. For instance, there may be multiple defendants and insurance companies involved. These include the defendant driver, the person who actually rented the vehicle (if different from the driver), and the rental car company itself. Sometimes, insurance coverage issues can arise between the renter’s personal auto insurance policy and the coverage that applies to the rental vehicle. Each insurance policy will provide a definition of what it considers to be a “rental car” or “replacement vehicle.” Thus, a situation could arise where neither insurance company wants to accept responsibility for your injuries.
After a rental car accident, identifying the proper parties and all potential insurance policies can allow you to recover full compensation for your losses. In a Tennessee car accident case, the law allows a victim to recover compensatory damages, which are designed to make the plaintiff whole, as if the crash never occurred in the first place. Compensatory damages generally fall into two categories: economic and non-economic damages. Under the law, economic damages include items like medical bills and lost wages, provided you missed work pursuant to your doctor’s orders. Non-economic damages, on the other hand, account for loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, and emotional distress, among others.
Obtaining Full Recovery for Your Injuries Following a Rental Car Accident
Some rental car policies provided limited bodily injury coverage. The minimum liability insurance required in Tennessee provides a maximum payout of $25,000 per person. What happens if you incur medical bills that are more than $25,000? If the primary policy only provided $25,000 in coverage, you may look to another policy for potential excess coverage. You may also assert a claim through the uninsured/underinsured motorist portion of your policy. A knowledgeable car accident attorney in the Memphis area can help you identify the forms of compensation to which you could be entitled.
Call NST Today to Speak with an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer
If a rental car hits you, do not assume that the rental company will automatically be responsible for your damages. Instead, you should still obtain the other driver’s contact information and retain skilled legal representation to investigate all potential insurance policies and fight for your rights. At Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz, our lawyers have represented car and truck crash victims in Memphis for more than 30 years, and we are the largest Tennessee-based plaintiff’s personal injury law firm. We represent people injured in Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Missouri, including in Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Jonesboro, Little Rock, Jackson, Meridian, Tupelo, Columbus, Grenada, Starkville, Oxford, Hayti, and Caruthersville. Contact our office by calling 800-LAW-4004 or by completing our online form to set up a free consultation. Once you get to know us, you will realize that NST is the way to go.
