Handling a rental car accident in St. Louis is not as complicated as it might seem. Here are the simple steps you should take to get fair compensation.
Though every car accident case is unique, the following steps represent a typical personal injury claim’s progression.
- Obtain Emergency Treatment – If you are bleeding or severely injured in any other way, you should call emergency response. Your health comes first.
- Call the Police – Calling an officer will allow you to obtain a police report later on in the process, which can help in your case.
- Collect Evidence at the Scene – You cannot rely entirely on the police though. If possible, snap photos of the surrounding scene so you can use them in your case.
- Hire a Lawyer – Hiring a lawyer is one of the best decisions you can make, as doing so will esnure your legal rights are protected and give you a better shot at receiving the compensation you are entitled to.
- File a Claim – Once you hire your attorney, you will talk about your priorities and pursue compensation based on them.
Even if a rental car is involved, you will most likely follow the same steps as a typical car accident. The reason is that the system is based on fault. In all likelihood, the vehicle itself will not be the cause of the crash. Instead, one or both of the drivers acted in a negligent manner, and the collision will be a direct result of those actions.
How the Rental Company Could Be Liable
Though the rental company being liable is rare, it does happen. As we mentioned above, this occurrence requires fault on their part to take place. So how can that happen? The most common way is a vehicle malfunction due to a lack of maintenance. To further your understanding, let’s go through a plausible scenario.
- You are driving down the road in your rental car when somebody in front of you brakes suddenly.
- When you realize that you need to stop, you hit your brakes.
- Because the brakes are far too old on your rental car, your stopping distance is longer than it should be, and you collide with the car in front of you.
- Rather than you being liable, you may be able to argue that the rental company was at fault because they did not properly maintain the vehicle.
As you might imagine, this scenario is relatively unlikely. Still, it is possible.
Don’t Settle for Less Than You Deserve!
If you have been involved in a rental car accident due to the negligence of another driver, you deserve the compensation you are legally entitled to. Ensure you do not settle for less by speaking with an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney as soon as possible.
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