Many visitors come to Fort Lauderdale every year. Some of these visitors drive their own vehicles. Others fly in and then rent a vehicle once they arrive. Driving an unfamiliar vehicle around an unfamiliar city can increase the odds that these drivers will be involved in an accident.
You can get legal help if you were hurt in an accident involving a rental car. The Law Offices of Chalik & Chalik can work to get you full compensation. Call our rental car accident lawyers in Fort Lauderdale today at 855-529-0269 to get started.
Steps to Take Following a Rental Car Accident
You can improve your odds of getting full compensation after a rental car accident by taking some basic steps. You should:
Contact the Police
It’s important to report collisions to the police department in Fort Lauderdale. Generally, you have 10 days to report your accident. However, reporting an accident right away can ensure any police report is filed quickly.
Record the Scene
You should take pictures of the scene of the collision, any of your injuries, and the damage to your vehicle after a rental car accident. You should also get information from the other driver involved in the collision, and any witnesses who saw the wreck.
Get Medical Help
Protect your well-being by seeking medical treatment if you are hurt in the accident. You may need emergency medical care. In other cases, you might be able to drive to a hospital yourself to get the treatment you need.
Call a Legal Professional
Rental car accidents can be challenging to deal with alone. You can end up facing the other driver, multiple insurance companies, and the rental car company. Working with a professional car accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale can improve your odds of securing full compensation.
Find a Fort Lauderdale Rental Car Accidents Lawyer Near Me
(954) 476-1000Rental Car Accidents and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Drivers in Florida are required to carry personal injury protection (PIP) with their car insurance. This is because Florida is a no-fault state, and you must first seek compensation from your own insurance company after an accident. This remains true in rental car accident cases. Your PIP policy can provide you with coverage for your:
- Healthcare expenses
- Lost wages at work
However, in some cases, you could be entitled to additional compensation. If you were severely injured, your rental car accident lawyer could work to get you further damages by proving that someone else was liable for the collision.
Chalik & Chalik Rental Car Accidents Lawyer Near Me
(954) 476-1000Liability in Fort Lauderdale Rental Car Accident Cases
Liability – or responsibility for an accident – can be tricky to determine in some rental-car cases. The following individuals or entities could be responsible for a rental car collision:
The Driver of the Rental Car
As we mentioned, rental car drivers must drive strange vehicles generally on roads they do not know. They could make a mistake while driving that could result in an accident. In this situation, they could be liable for the wreck.
The Rental Car Company
Generally, rental car companies cannot be held liable for an accident under federal law. However, this may not hold true if the rental car company knew they possessed a defective vehicle and they rented that vehicle anyway, leading to a wreck.
The Vehicle Manufacturer
Sometimes, vehicles are manufactured with dangerous defects. In this situation, you could be entitled to compensation from the manufacturer who produced the defective vehicle. In other cases, the company that produced the defective parts could be liable.
Click to contact Chalik & Chalik's Rental Car Accidents Lawyer today
Get Compensation for a Rental Car Accident
If your rental car accident lawyer can show that someone else was responsible for causing your accident, you may be able to get increased compensation. Note that this only applies if you experienced a serious injury in Fort Lauderdale. In this situation, you could seek compensation for:
- Damage to your personal property
- Pain and suffering you experienced
- Any emotional trauma caused by the accident
- Your medal bills and lost wages
The team at the Law Offices of Chalik & Chalik can work to negotiate with powerful insurance companies on your behalf. We can even take your claim all the way to court if insurance agents will not treat you fairly after a rental car accident.
For a free legal consultation with a Chalik & Chalik lawyer serving Fort Lauderdale, call
(954) 476-1000A Rental Car Accident Lawyer Can Help You
You can get personalized legal advice from the Law Offices of Chalik & Chalik. Call 855-529-0269 to start building your claim today. Our rental car accident lawyers in Fort Lauderdale can review your legal options with a free consultation. Let us take on insurance agents and Florida’s complicated legal system for you.
Call or text Chalik & Chalik
(954) 476-1000
The Facts of Facial Lacerations Cause by Car Accidents When you are involved in a car accident in Fort Lauderdale, it is a blessing to come out alive. But many accident victims suffer disfiguring injuries. Some injuries cause mountains of medical bills, pain and suffering, and anguish. For example, if your airbag did not deploy during a car accident and you struck the steering...
Top 10 Car Accident Causes in Florida in 2012 In 2012, Florida experienced 281,340 traffic accidents involving 468,470 drivers, resulting in 2,430 fatalities, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. While some of these accidents were caused by unknown or unpredictable factors, the majority of them were preventable and occurred as a result of driver error. Below are the top...
How To Obtain a Police Report After a Car Crash If you’ve been in a car accident and need assistance obtaining a police report, making changes to an incorrect police report or filing a personal injury case for damages, contact an attorney that can help. With a thorough understanding of car accident and personal injury law, the Ft. Lauderdale personal injury firm at Chalik &...
The Financial Responsibility Law in Florida Anytime you go out on the road, you are at risk for an accident. In Florida, car accidents happen more frequently than almost any other place in the United States. It is important that you know how to protect yourself and what you need to do if you get in any kind of accident...
Most Dangerous Highways in Florida The three most dangerous highways in Florida are reportedly Interstate 4, Interstate 95, and U.S. Route 1. These roads are dangerous because they are the sites of many fatal crashes. They all have high traffic volumes as throngs of vehicles travel across them daily. Those involved in accidents on Florida’s highways can seek compensation for...
When Should I Call an Auto Accident Lawyer in Fort Lauderdale? After you have ensured the safety of yourself and any other passengers following a collision, you should consider moving forward with legal action by using the resources offered by an auto accident lawyer. It does not matter how minor your injuries may appear or how “not serious” the accident was––should you decide with pursuing compensation,...
How To Get a Police Report for a Car Accident in Fort Lauderdale Florida law requires responding officers to file a crash report after any car accident that involves fatality, personal injury, or property damage over $500. If another party was at fault for your car accident, the police report can offer critical details to support an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. Understanding how to get a...
Are Car Accident Settlements Taxable in Fort Lauderdale? According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), car accident settlements are not generally taxable in Fort Lauderdale. However, there may be exceptions to this rule. For instance, depending on your situation, the financial recovery you gained from noneconomic losses may be taxable, since they are not observable damages. However, if emotional trauma, for example, did...
