Will I get a rental car after a car accident?
New York's DFS says rental reimbursement is an optional coverage on your own auto policy that pays for a substitute car while yours is out of use after a covered loss, until it is repaired or declared a total loss. Whether you have it, and its limits, are in your policy, so check your policy.
What is rental reimbursement?
New York's DFS says it is coverage "for the cost of renting a vehicle used as substitute transportation" while your car is out of use after a covered loss, "until it is repaired or is declared a total loss."
Is it the same as "rental vehicle coverage"?
No. DFS says the "Rental Vehicle Coverage" in a New York motor vehicle liability policy, which covers damage to a rental car you drive, "should not be confused with" rental reimbursement.
What about after a theft?
DFS says most insurers reimburse rental expenses "up to the amount stated in the policy" after a theft. It adds that rental reimbursement is automatically provided for theft under comprehensive coverage.
What about after a collision?
DFS says some insurers sell optional rental reimbursement that pays when the car "cannot be operated during a covered collision or comprehensive loss." It is an add-on, not automatic.
How much does it pay, and for how long?
Neither DFS page states a dollar limit or a maximum number of rental days. The policy states them.
What if another driver caused the accident?
The neutral sources read for this page do not cover that, so this page does not either. Check your policy.
What if I rent a car myself?
DFS says a rental company "may hold a renter responsible for damage to, or loss of, a rental vehicle" unless you buy its optional protection. Your own policy or a credit card may also cover this. DFS also says rental companies must carry insurance at the statutory minimum, but "a rental vehicle company is not required to provide minimum liability coverage to a renter," so ask the company before taking the car.
What can I ask?
- Does my policy include rental reimbursement?
- What are its daily and total limits?
- When does it start, and when does it end: when the car is repaired, or when it is declared a total loss?
- If I rent a car myself, what do my policy or credit card cover, and what does the rental company hold me responsible for?
- If the other driver was at fault, who do I ask first about a rental: my insurer or theirs?
General information only. This page does not say what any iDeal shop offers. Naming a source does not mean any iDeal shop is certified by it or affiliated with it.
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