When you’re involved in a car accident, it can be one of the most stressful times a person ever has to experience. You have to deal with your car repair, insurance, maybe even injuries… The list just goes on and on. The last thing that you’d ever think about dealing with is not being covered for a rental car while your car is in the repair shop. Unfortunately, this happens much too often, and car owners are faced with even more problems that they shouldn’t have to be worrying about in the first place.
Are you covered?
So, how do you know if you’re guaranteed a rental under your policy while your car is being repaired, here in Pennsylvania? Well, the simplest and easiest way is to check with your insurance company to see if you have rental coverage. You’re not required to have this type of coverage, but it’s greatly encouraged and can save you tons of money if you’re ever without your car. This rental coverage applies even if you’re not in an accident. Not to mention, it’s an extremely reasonable rate provided from just about every insurance company. Do keep in mind: certain policies only pay for a portion of the rental during the time your car is being repaired and you’ll have to pay for the difference.
What if the repair takes longer than I’m covered for?
Most policies have a time limit on how long you can have the rental, either based on how long it the repair takes or when your coverage limit runs out. However, if the repair takes longer than the estimate because there’s a delay due to the insurance adjuster or the shop needs to order parts from the factory, then you’ll most likely run out of rental time covered by your insurance. This also happens when your car is totaled (aka “total loss”), and you now have to shop around for a replacement vehicle. When any of those scenarios happen, you’ll be required to pay out of pocket for the cost of the rental.
What if the other driver was at fault?
If you were not at fault in the accident, then you should have the other driver’s insurance company pay for your rental car directly. You can do this by filing a claim and presenting sufficient enough evidence (including a police report) to prove you are innocent. That said, there are a couple of scenarios where you’ll need to seek reimbursement for your rental retroactively. The first would be if the other insurance company is slow to accept responsibility. This does happen often, especially when there’s a lot of back-and-forth going on between who did what, etc. The other reason will be if you need a rental car right away and you don’t have other methods of transportation. If this happens, check with your insurance policy to see if you have rental reimbursement.
What if I don’t have insurance?
It is against the law in most states to be driving without insurance. You can face serious consequences, regardless of whether or not you’re in an accident. This can include loss of license and even jail time.
If you caused a car accident and you don’t have insurance, then prepare for the victims to sue you. This process is different if you’re in one of the 12 “no-fault” insurance states. Pennsylvania is one of them. If someone else caused the accident, every state has its own expense limit on what you can recover when you don’t have insurance.
Because Pennsylvania is known as a “no-fault” state, that also means it is one of the 12 states that require something known as, “Personal Injury Protection,” aka
“PIP.” Personal Injury Protection pays for any injuries caused by a car accident, no matter who is at fault. PIP also pays for medical bills, funeral costs, services you’re unable to perform such as child care and housework, and much more. Since Pennsylvania is one of the no-fault states, it’s a requirement to have PIP. To learn more about PIP, ask your insurance provider or click here.
Best advice? Never drive without having insurance.
What body shop in Pennsylvania can I trust?
Here at 3D Collision Centers, we are committed to helping you throughout the entire repair process. We have 7 different locations across Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester counties. We know this is an extremely stressful time for you, and we want to help ease that stress. We will work with any insurance company and even provide you with a free estimate.
We even offer towing services to all 7 of our locations! Our repairs are done by our I-CAR Gold Class technicians, which is the highest and most current level of training an auto repair technician can receive. You can rest assured that your car will be getting the best possible repair out there.
Feel free to give us a call at (877)-692-7776. Or if you’d like to call any of our locations directly, click here. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you!
