You may have a rental car for any number of reasons, whether to avoid putting wear and tear on your vehicle for a road trip or because your car is in the shop after an accident.
Regardless of the reason, an accident in a rental car can have additional complications compared to an accident in your personal vehicle. When this happens, you need an experienced Orangeburg rental car accident lawyer to help you recover the compensation you deserve.
Shelly Leeke Law Firm has been a member of the South Carolina community for over a decade. We have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for injury victims and their families. Contact our Orangeburg car accident lawyer when you have been injured in an accident in or with a rental car.
What to Do After a Rental Car Accident
The appropriate action after a rental car accident can be difficult to determine for many. However, the first step should always be ensuring the safety of those involved. The common first steps our Orangeburg personal injury lawyer would advise taking, include:
- Call 911-When you call 911, this can prompt EMS and police arrival, ensuring medical evaluation and prompting an Orangeburg police report to keep with your records for evidence.
- Take photos or video of the scene and your injuries.
- Contact a medical provider for evaluation to ensure injuries do not go untreated.
- Contact a rental car accident lawyer in Orangeburg.
Once you determine you are safe, you may start thinking about what is next. Whether it is the same day or the next, you will often benefit most by calling an attorney quickly. They may be able to help you preserve or secure evidence and step in to handle the insurance company for you in those first vulnerable days after your injuries.
Orangeburg Rental Cars
With a handful of rental car agencies on Matthews Road alone, securing or encountering a rental car in Orangeburg is not a difficult task. While rental cars are not necessarily more dangerous than your own car, several factors may contribute to an increased chance of an accident in a rental car. These include considerations such as visitors who are unfamiliar with the area and driving a car that is a different size and shape than you may be used to.
People may often rent cars when they travel or while their car is in the shop following a breakdown or accident, but there are many other reasons you may encounter a rental car in an accident. In a page discussing reasons to rent a car you might not have considered, including a luxury or sporty vehicle for special occasions or a larger vehicle to accommodate family or friends coming to town.
Insurance Coverage in an Orangeburg Rental Car Accident
Most rental car agencies offer an additional type of coverage on their rental vehicles in case of an accident. Many times, your current car insurance will extend to cover a rental car, so you may not find it necessary to pay an additional $10-$30 per day for the redundant coverage. However, if your insurance does not offer coverage for rental cars or if you have a high deductible for your policy, you may choose to purchase the coverage.
Common Injuries in an Orangeburg Rental Car Accident
Car accidents can have devastating consequences, leaving you physically, financially, and emotionally worse for wear. The type of compensation you receive often depends on the type and severity of your injuries. Some of the common injuries we see include:
- Broken bones
- Disfiguring scarring
- Damage to the neck and spine
- Lacerations
- Brain injury
- Soft tissue injury
In addition to physical injuries, many may walk away with psychological and emotional trauma as well. It is entirely possible, and not uncommon, to get PTSD from a car accident. An added PTSD diagnosis can increase your need for support while you recover and extend the duration of time it takes.
Compensation for a Rental Car Accident
Most accident injury victims pursue a lawsuit to recover compensation for their injuries. This may be physical injuries and losses or emotional. Some of the more common types of damages we may request include:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning potential
- Therapeutic costs
- Medication
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
Most often, the amount of pain and suffering will directly relate to the severity of your injuries. For example, many cases may yield a higher amount of pain and suffering damages for someone who has been paralyzed compared to someone who suffered a broken arm and needed surgery.
Each case will have a unique set of circumstances, and your Orangeburg rental car accident attorney can help you determine a fair amount.
Wrongful Death
If you are facing the unimaginable, and a loved one died in a rental car accident, you may have questions about how to seek damages for wrongful death.
When you speak with a lawyer, they may explain who can bring a wrongful death claim and help you determine if you are eligible. It may seem crass to try to get money for the death of someone you love, but it can also be a vital source of financial support at a time when you need it.
Call a Rental Car Accident Attorney in Orangeburg Today
Recovering from car accident injuries is stressful, and you do not have to do it alone. We offer a contingency basis fee schedule when you work with Shelly Leeke Law Firm. This means you do not owe or pay legal fees until we recover your compensation.
Managing a settlement is challenging enough without having to deal with the responsible driver as well as the rental car agency or their insurance provider. After an accident, you should be able to focus on your recovery instead of bearing the full weight of someone else’s consequences. Do not suffer with this alone. Call our rental car accident attorney in Orangeburg today.
