Rental Car Roulette – What to do if your rental car is involved in a car accident

The car rental industry in Australia is worth approximately $964 million AUD, and with over 1,500 businesses renting out tens of thousands of rental vehicles every year, it is important to know what happens if you’re in a car accident in a rental car.

If you’ve been injured, understanding motor vehicle accident claims in Queensland is a good first step — and a personal injury lawyer in Queensland can help you navigate the process.

If you’ve been injured in a rental car accident

Every car in Australia is covered by compulsory third party (“CTP”) insurance, which generally covers injuries that occur to people involved in car accidents, and rental cars are generally no different.

If you’re injured in a car accident in Queensland that involves a rental car, the steps that you should take are no different than those you take after an ordinary car accident.

• Firstly, contact emergency services if the situation requires it.
• Second, if it is safe for the drivers to move the vehicles out of danger, move the vehicles so as not to create the risk of further car accidents.
• Third, when safe to do so, exchange details with the other driver, ensuring you grab their full name, contact details, and details of the rental car company that the vehicle is rented from (if possible, including car number, policy number, etc.).
• After you’ve done the above, it’s always a good idea to take several photos of the accident scene and any damage to the cars.
• Fourth, Queensland law requires drivers to report any car accidents where there is damage to vehicles or other property, or if anyone is injured or dies. You can report the car accident at Policelink (131 444) or by contacting (000)

If you’re the driver of the rental car

Rental drivers involved in a car accident should follow all the steps above, but also call their rental car company to discuss the next steps.

Because car accidents happen unexpectedly, it is important to ensure that you inform yourself of your rental car CTP insurance policy by reading and discussing the policy with the rental agency before you drive a rental car.

How Claimwise Can Help

Rental car accidents come with an extra layer of complexity — between the rental company, CTP insurer, and your own entitlements, it can be hard to know where to start.

We’ve put together a guide on personal injury lawyer costs in Queensland so you can make an informed decision before engaging anyone. And because we do things differently to traditional ‘No Win, No Fee’ law firms, our clients typically save $10,000 or more on legal fees.

If you’d like to understand your options, feel free to get in touch with us.

Be smart, claim wise.