What to Do if You are in a Rental Car Accident in a Foreign Country

Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident can be challenging when you’re home. It could become a major headache if the car accident occurs when you are driving a rental car in a foreign country – on work or on vacation. An incident like that could be enough to ruin your vacation or throw your work trip off course. If you are injured in the car accident, it could make it even worse.

What Steps Can You Take?

The initial steps you take after any car accident – whether it’s at home or abroad, in your own car or a rental car – are more or less similar. First and foremost, assess the damage and make sure everyone is OK. If anyone is injured and needs medical attention, it is important to call emergency personnel. Call the authorities. Regardless of where in the world you are, call local police to alert them to the incident.

Will Your Insurance Work?

Whether your car insurance will cover an accident that occurs in another country will often depend on the type of insurance you have and the country in which the incident occurred. It would be a good idea to check with your policy to see if you are covered if you are driving your own car in another country such as Canada or Mexico. If you rented a car in another country and bought insurance for the rental, you should contact the rental company and/or the insurance carrier soon after the accident. It would also be a good idea to get as much information as possible from the other driver and other parties involved in the collision.

Seeking Compensation

If you did not buy insurance for your rental vehicle or if the other driver is uninsured, or if you are having difficulty dealing with an insurance company, it might be in your best interest to contact an experienced personal injury attorney who can negotiate with the insurance company and help you get the compensation you rightfully deserve. Another place to check regarding insurance coverage for your car rental is with your credit card provider.

Often, a credit card will provide at least a minimum amount of protection when you use the card to reserve or pay for the rental. In such cases, it is a good idea to check your credit card agreement or call the credit card company to see if this is an option for you.