I was recently in an accident where the other person was at fault, and now their insurance is paying for my car repairs and my rental car.
While the rental car was parked in my driveway, some strong winds caused nuts from a nearby tree to fall on it. Now there are dents all over the roof and hood, almost like hail damage.
Do I need to file a claim with my insurance to cover the damage, or is the other person’s insurance still responsible?
This would probably fall under your comprehensive coverage. The other insurance company is only responsible for the initial accident, not any damage that happens to the rental car while you have it.
If you bought a damage waiver or rental insurance, that could also cover it.
Just a heads-up: keep your rental agreement handy, your insurance will likely need it. The rental car is usually treated as a ‘loaner’ vehicle under your policy while your car is in the shop.
@Zaid
It might depend on where you are. In New York, for example, rental cars are covered under your Property Damage coverage.
Peyton said:
@Zaid
It might depend on where you are. In New York, for example, rental cars are covered under your Property Damage coverage.
Good point. Yeah, coverage rules vary a lot depending on the state and the insurance company.
@Zaid
Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it!
Usually, when you rent something, you’re responsible for returning it in the same condition you got it, aside from normal wear and tear. So you’ll probably have to pay for the damage.
But what state are you in? I saw someone post about a similar issue in Wisconsin, and it seems like there, you might only be liable for collision damage if you didn’t buy a damage waiver.
Here’s a bit from the law:
> 344.574 Limited liability for damage.
Rental companies can only hold you liable for physical damage caused by an accident or intentional damage while under the rental agreement.
“Accident” is defined as a collision or a similar incident, not intentional damage by the renter.