Almost 5 million people (1) were hurt in auto accidents and needed medical attention in 2024 and the costs of all of these injuries came in at $559.3 billion, according to the National Safety Council. This includes medical expenses, property damage and wage and productivity losses.
For those involved in a crash, coping with the resulting financial losses can be extremely difficult and knowing what to do to recover may feel impossible. That's especially true in complicated situations such as when you're hurt in a rental car accident.
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Typically, your personal auto insurance (2) covers damage you cause to the rental car and injuries you cause to other people while driving a rental. Credit cards often offer coverage for damage to the rental car as well and you can usually buy certain coverage from the rental company.
But what if you or your loved one is hurt in the crash? Let's say, for example, that John, his wife and his son were involved in a collision with a rental car caused by another driver. They all suffered injuries and are worried the medical bills will devastate them.
So, what are their options in this difficult situation?
John doesn't necessarily have to cover the bills out of his own pocket. Instead, he can pursue a legal remedy.
"You want to make sure you maximize compensation on your bodily injury claim," Jason Hine (3), a St. Louis personal injury lawyer at Miller & Hine (4), told Moneywise. "Depending on what state you have insurance in, you might be able to receive payments for your medical bills from your own insurance or the at-fault party's insurance."
If you live in a no-fault state (5), your own insurer would pay for medical bills or partial lost wages for minor injuries, no matter who was to blame. If you purchased optional personal accident insurance from the rental car company, this would also provide coverage.
Unfortunately, other rental car coverages or protections (6), like a collision damage waiver or supplemental liability insurance, only cover damage to the car or damage you cause to others. The same is true of credit card car rental coverage (7). So you'll need to see what insurance you have in place.
Source: Yahoo Finance Top News — This article was automatically imported from the source. Read full article at original source →
