What Happens When You Get Into An Accident In A Rental Car

Accidents are rarely planned for by drivers because, to most, it is the last thing they expect to happen. In fact, they always expect that it will likely be the mistake of another driver that will cause the accident. Common to most humans, we never want to take any blame for anything wrong. We always try to find a reason to blame anything on everyone else, other than ourselves. Of course, there are a few who take fault and act accordingly. But those are the rare few.

Imagine you are from Europe, the USA, or any other part of the world, and for some reason, you would prefer to drive yourself in Uganda. One of the things you will likely ask is the insurance policy. This is to ensure that you are covered to a certain degree in case of any accident. However one of the things that is rarely discussed is the procedure on how things work out in case of an accident. Here is what you need to know.

Report The Incident To The Car Rental Agency

In case of any accident during your self drive safari in Uganda, the first person to call is the car rental agency and inform them about the incident. There is rarely much they can do at this point. But informing them will help them know how to proceed. Some accidents are too minor that you can continue driving the car without any serious issue while others require not simply car repairs but a complete change to another car. Therefore, informing the car rental agency will help them plan accordingly.

Report The Issue To The Police

Any time you get involved in an accident, it is wise to get a police reference. In case the accident is minor, you can agree to making a police statement before proceeding. In case the accident is major and involves causalities, it is wise never to make a police statement without a lawyer. Making a police statement in such cases can easily force the case against you. Since you have a right to remain silent, you can use that provision to only have the statement made with the help of a lawyer.

In case it is an accident without causalities, it is better to simply make a police statement and continue with whatever is necessary. Sometimes it is ending the trip while other times, it is simply getting a little medical attention and then proceed with your trip.

Replacement Vehicle

Most car rental agencies require you to pay a fine of around $1500 to $2000 in case of an rollover accident. On top of this, you pay the excess insurance fee. The $1500 is a prohibitive fee because in most cases, insurance does not compensate for rollovers. Rollovers are usually connected to reckless driving and Insurance cannot restore you in situations where reckless driving has been established.

It is usually after paying these extra fees that the company proceeds to organize a replacement vehicle with a driver in case you wish to continue with your trip. The driver fees have to be covered by the renter as well as the fuel to bring the car to their desired location.

What if you are put in police custody

The lawyer fees are rarely talked about. It is a separate package on its own. In the case of 4x4uganda, we charge an extra $250 in legal insurance. This only applies for people who are self driving. In case you find yourself in an accident or anything related to driving that might require legal representation, the insurance cover is activated. Kindly follow our next article for more details about legal insurance for self drive clients.