Oklahoma City Rental Car Accidents
There are many reasons to drive a rental car in Oklahoma City. Visitors to the state, those with a car in a repair shop, or someone who wishes to try out a specific vehicle model may enter a rental car agreement and drive off the lot in a rental car. When signing the contract, every driver faces the decision of whether or not to choose the additional rental car insurance, wondering, “What are the chances of an accident?” In most cases, the odds against an accident are favorable, but what happens when a motorist experiences an accident while driving a rental car in Oklahoma despite the odds? Make sure to speak with an experienced Oklahoma City car accident lawyer if you were involved in an accident.
What Types of Accidents Occur in Rental Cars in Oklahoma City?
The congested roadways and busy highways in Oklahoma City often contain visitors and residents driving rental cars. A rental car driver may face an increased risk of an accident due to inexperience with the vehicle and driving in an unfamiliar location, but in many cases, another driver’s negligent or reckless actions cause the accident. Accidents involving rental cars in Oklahoma City include the following:
- Rear-end collisions
- Angle accidents (T-bone collisions)
- Sideswipes
- Head-on collisions
- Roadway departures
- Rollover accidents
When an accident involves a rental car, the driver may face confusing options for recovering compensation in an accident claim. Determining the best way forward depends on the type of coverage they selected in their rental car agreement as well as who is at fault for the accident.
Oklahoma has a fault-based insurance system that requires drivers to file claims for compensation against the party at fault in an accident. Oklahoma’s comparison negligence law 23 OK Stat § 13: the law states the following:
“Contributory negligence shall not bar a recovery, unless any negligence of the person so injured, damaged or killed, is of greater degree than any negligence of the person, firm or corporation causing such damage…”
Under this law, even a driver who contributes to the cause of the accident may recover compensation as long as they are not more than 50% at fault. Under the law, a rental car driver may recover compensation by filing a claim against another driver who caused an accident.
What If I Contributed to the Accident?
After an accident with a rental car, depending on the results of the investigation, the driver could recover compensation through a claim against an at-fault driver’s insurance. If they contributed more than 50% of fault in the accident, they could bear liability for damages to another motorist. The results of their case could depend on the following:
- Whether or not they purchased the rental car collision damage waiver
- Whether or not they added the rental car personal accident insurance (PAI) coverage
- Whether or not they opted for the personal effects coverage
- The terms of their personal auto insurance policy which may or may not have a provision for rental car coverage
- Whether or not they have umbrella liability coverage through another insurance policy
- Whether or not the credit card they used to pay for the rental car has rental car insurance as a perk for using the card
It often takes an experienced car accident lawyer in Oklahoma City to scrutinize all available insurance options to determine the best way forward for the maximum compensation in a rental car accident claim.
How Can a Car Accident Attorney From Dan Davis Law Help?
Rental car accidents require unique strategies to help injury victims recover the compensation they deserve. Contact Dan Davis Law, the personal injury lawyers in Oklahoma City who are ready to investigate all aspects of your accident and all available avenues for recovering compensation.