Will an Insurance Company Cover Rental Car Costs After a Crash in Texas?

After sustaining property damage in a vehicle accident, you may need a rental car to hold you over until your vehicle gets fixed or until you find a replacement vehicle. However, rental vehicles can become expensive very quickly. Insurance coverage may pay for rental vehicle expenses after an accident. Determining which insurance carrier pays for the rental vehicle costs will revolve around liability for the incident. A car accident lawyer in Houston can help you work through your case after experiencing a collision.

Insurance Carriers Can Cover Rental Vehicle Costs

You can almost certainly receive insurance coverage for rental vehicle costs after an accident, but this does take a little bit of foresight in some circumstances. We strongly encourage you, if you have not already done so, to contact your insurance carrier and add rental vehicle coverage to your policy. It is not terribly expensive, and it does give you peace of mind ahead of time, even if you never get into a vehicle accident.

Typically, you can obtain this inexpensive rental vehicle coverage through your insurance carrier and define a set amount of days or a dollar amount that the insurance carrier will pay for rental vehicle coverage after an accident. For example, some policies start at a basic payout of $30 a day with a total available payout of a maximum of $900. Individuals can increase the total payout through their insurance carrier, though higher payouts do mean paying more in monthly premiums.

When you obtain this coverage through your own policy, you will be able to obtain rental vehicle coverage regardless of who caused the incident. However, keep in mind that if you are found to be at fault for the incident, your insurance carrier will likely raise your premiums after they complete payment for your claim if they do not drop coverage altogether.

However, figuring out what to do if your premiums go up is a conversation for a later date. Your sole focus should be on getting your vehicle repaired, handling any injuries you sustained as a result of the incident, and getting back on your feet.

Will the Other Driver Have to Cover Rental Vehicle Costs?

Another driver or other insurance carrier involved in the accident may end up being responsible for the rental vehicle costs. If another party was responsible for causing the collision, you will file a claim against that driver’s insurance carrier to recover compensation for your damages, including medical expense coverage, property damage expenses, and rental vehicle costs.

However, you may have to pay for a rental vehicle out of your own pocket until reimbursement can come from the other party’s insurance carrier. If you do not currently have rental vehicle coverage as part of your insurance policy, your carrier may not pay these expenses upfront. You may have to pursue these costs as part of your overall insurance claim against the at-fault driver.

How Long Will It Take to Receive Coverage?

There is no set amount of time for how long it takes a vehicle accident claim to resolve. Each case is different, and the specific factors related to your particular accident claim must be taken into account. Typically, you will need to obtain a rental vehicle soon after the incident occurs so you can have transportation to get from point A to point B. We encourage you to open up a conversation with your insurance carrier about the best way to obtain this rental vehicle coverage so you can have a vehicle while yours gets repaired or replaced.