You were driving by the local airport when it happened. Someone pulled out quickly in his or her vehicle and hit you as you drove past. You assumed the individual wasn’t from around the area, because if he or she had been, it would have been obvious that the area was dangerous.
After some time, you find out that the individual was leaving the airline in a rental vehicle. They don’t want to ruin their vacation over an accident that happened as soon as they landed, and you don’t want to spend more time than necessary there. You take their insurance information, call the police and let them get on their way after making a report.
If you are hit by someone who is using a rental vehicle, you can pursue a claim against the individual. Most rental companies will not allow a person to drive without proof of insurance, essentially guaranteeing that any driver who is in his or her vehicle has coverage in the case of an accident. Even if an individual doesn’t have coverage, the company asks that he or she obtains it through them for the period of time that he or she is renting the vehicle.
Why is that good news? The requirements set by the rental facilities help those victimized by dangerous drivers obtain the compensation they need. Additionally, if the driver doesn’t have insurance, you may be able to pursue a claim through the company, since it should have required insurance to drive a fleet vehicle. Drivers need to call their insurance companies before renting a vehicle to find out what the insurance company will cover. If the policy isn’t good enough, it may be necessary to obtain a temporary policy specifically for that vehicle while it’s in use.
Source: FindLaw, “Rental Liability, Pedestrian Accidents, and More,” accessed Nov. 02, 2017
