Getting in a car accident is one of the most stressful experiences a person can go through. Not only do you have to find the best place to take your car to be repaired, but you also have to deal with insurance companies (yours and the other drivers), being without your vehicle, and possibly even injuries. 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 the list of stresses seem to keep going on forever.
We at Statesville Collision Center are here to let North Carolina drivers know what to expect in the repair process and answer any questions you might have about your rental while your car is being repaired.
Are you covered?
One of the easiest ways to check if you’re guaranteed a rental car under your policy while your car is in the shop is to call your insurance company. It’s not a requirement to have this type of coverage, but it’s definitely good to have in the event you’re without a car for a certain amount of time. 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 duration for how long you can have the rental, based on two different things: how long the repair takes or when the coverage limit reaches its limit. 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?
In all states, it’s illegal to be driving without insurance. There are serious consequences for this, which can include losing your license and possibly jail time.
If someone else caused the accident, every state has its own expense limit on what you can recover when you don’t have insurance. However, if you caused a car accident and you don’t have insurance, then you need to be ready for the other drivers to sue you. This process would be different if you’re in one of the 12 “no-fault” insurance states, although North Carolina is not a no-fault insurance state.
What does it mean to be a no-fault insurance state?
If you happened to be involved in an accident in a no-fault insurance state, those states 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.
To learn more about PIP, ask your insurance provider or click here.
Our best advice to you? Never drive without having insurance.
What body shop in North Carolina can I trust?
Here at Statesville Collision Center, we are here to help you throughout the entire repair process. We know this can be an incredibly stressful time for you, which is why we are dedicated to showing you the Statesville difference!
We also are among the 10% of body shops in the country that are I-CAR Gold Class Trained. We care about our technicians receiving the highest level of training possible so you can provide you with the quality repair that you deserve. This is especially important when looking for a body shop in North Carolina because not every shop has a team of highly trained technicians who can repair your car the right way. We do, and we are committed to providing you the highest quality and safest repair out there for your car.
Feel free to give us a call at (704)-881-0410. If you’d like to schedule an appointment or get an online quote, we’re more than happy to help out! We offer these on our website to make the car repair process as stress-free as possible! Just click any of the buttons below to get started!
We look forward to hearing from you!
