Significant injuries and property damage can result from car accidents, and victims should be compensated if the accident was the fault of another motorist. But what happens if you lease a car and then get into an accident? Is there a shift in how the incident and compensation are handled due to this?
CARS ON LEASE AND PROTECTION
There is a minimum amount of insurance coverage that every motorist in the state of Georgia must maintain to operate a motor vehicle legally. Types and minimums currently mandated by Georgia law are as follows:
● Liability for bodily harm is capped at $25,000 per injured party and $50,000 total.
● There will be a $25,000 cap on individual accident property damage liability.
● Leasing a vehicle, however, will necessitate additional forms of coverage to appease the lender or dealer. This will contain both collision coverage, which aids in covering repair costs after a collision with another vehicle or object, and comprehensive coverage, which safeguards the car against things like natural disasters and theft.
In addition, leasing agreements for brand-new automobiles may stipulate the purchase of GAP insurance to help cover costs in the event that the amount of damage covered by the insurance company is less than the amount still owed on the leased vehicle. Coverage for this gap is provided by GAP insurance.
If you or someone else is involved in an accident while operating a rented car, the incident should proceed like any other vehicle accident. The car must be insured, and the police can complete a report at the site.
HOW TO PROCEED AFTER AN ACCIDENT IN A RENTAL CAR
Consult a lawyer if you or a loved one has been hurt or their property has been damaged in an accident involving a rented vehicle;
learn more here. But, there are some things you can do immediately following the incident to increase the likelihood that you will be compensated for your losses:
● Assemble all parties' insurance information and file a police report by having the police show up.
● Get as much data as you can from the scene. One option is to use a mobile device to document the scene by shooting stills or a short video of the entire area, including any wrecked vehicles, injured people, scattered objects, skid marks, etc. Witnesses, if any, should have their names and information recorded.