Getting into a car crash is stressful enough. When one of the cars is a rental, things become even more complicated. Rental car companies typically offer insurance, but not every driver chooses to protect their vehicle with it. Diverse factors like the state in which the collision occurred, the different insurance companies, the extent of damages, and the chance that there could be more than one liable party can make these cases extremely complicated and difficult to understand.
If you or a loved one got into a rental car collision, you have a right to explore your legal options. It is common for people to walk away from these accidents with severe injuries. Crafting a strong legal argument can be difficult to do on your own while trying to heal from those injuries. A team of trained legal professionals can take that burden off your shoulders and expertly handle your case for you. To win the best compensation possible, you should hire a dedicated attorney who has experience with claims after rental car accidents in Inverness.
Differing Parties in a Rental Car Crash Case
Multiple parties can be relevant when a rental car collision has happened. Some include:
- The rental car company
- Insurance companies
- Car owners
- Property owners
- The government
- The at-fault driver
- Credit card companies
Talking to an informed Inverness attorney can help you figure out what parties can be held responsible for your rental car crash.
Building a Case After a Rental Vehicle Accident
Liability is one of the most important things to prove in an injury case. Drivers have a duty of care to other drivers on the road. When they breach that duty and cause injury to other drivers, they can be held liable for what happened.
Drivers fail to maintain the requisite duty of care in several ways; some examples include reckless driving, drunk driving, failure to follow traffic laws, or speeding. Sometimes, commercial entities, like rental car companies or ride sharing services, can be liable. It is strongly advised to hire an experienced Inverness attorney who will make sure to hold the correct parties liable for your rental car crash.
The Importance of Hiring Legal Help
It is essential to hire a lawyer because they can use their expertise to investigate, collect evidence, navigate with insurance companies, and litigate the case to trial in court. Some key pieces of evidence that a lawyer may use to win a case include photos of the accident scene, eyewitness testimonies, medical bills, or expert witnesses.
It can be difficult for an injured person to measure and be compensated for medical bills on their own. Keeping organized files of medical reports and bills documenting those injuries can help prove the connection between the accident and the injuries. With the right evidence, a lawyer can push for a higher settlement offer from an insurance company or swing a jury in their favor. A lawyer can help rental car crash victims in Inverness collect and present convincing evidence and win the compensation they deserve.
Securing Compensation For a Rental Car Crash
The amount of compensation a person can obtain for their injuries depends on the specific factors of the car collision. The state of Florida has a modified comparative negligence system. Typically, a person in Inverness cannot recover damages if they are more than 50% at fault for the rental car crash that caused their injuries. Depending upon a jury’s determination, a person’s total financial compensation can be lessened based on their level of contribution to the accident, as long as it is below 50%.
Damages can be economic or non-economic. Some examples of economic damages are the cost of car repairs, lost wages, and medical bills. Examples of non-economic damages are pain and suffering, funeral costs, loss of future income, or emotional damage. If the at-fault driver did something particularly egregious, such as road rage, the injured person may be entitled to punitive damages, which are intended to punish and discourage the defendant from ever repeating their actions.
Call an Inverness Attorney About Rental Car Accidents Today
If you or a loved one were involved in a rental car crash in Inverness, you have every right to explore your legal options. Insurance companies almost always try to lowball people who do not hire an attorney to assist them. Your recovery is important, and you deserve to have a legal professional on your side to help you obtain financial compensation. Calling a skilled attorney will make all the difference.