Last night, the front passenger tire on my rental car blew out, causing damage to the bumper cover, quarter panel, and a broken axle as the car scraped against a concrete barrier while exiting the interstate. Thankfully, I avoided hitting other vehicles as the car careened on three wheels.
This is the third of four bald tires on the rental car to fail in just three weeks. Meanwhile, my personal vehicle is in repairs due to an accident caused by a drunk driver.
Am I responsible for the damages? Should I file an insurance claim? Or should I cover the repairs out of pocket to avoid a premium increase?
I’m currently working on obtaining a CDL for the first time under a CPL. Will this incident affect my CDL application?
If you used a credit card to pay for the rental, review your credit card benefits, as many include rental car insurance coverage. Was there anything in the rental agreement indicating you acknowledged the condition of the bald tires and accepted responsibility for them? I’m unsure how damage from faulty tires would impact a CDL. Are you obligated to report accidents yourself, potentially affecting your CDL application?
You should file a claim; typically, your policy should cover damages to a rental car as it would for your own insured vehicle, especially if it’s being used while your insured vehicle is undergoing repairs.
Is the accident caused by the drunk driver already filed with your insurance? If so, inform them that this rental is due to that claim. If not, you’ll likely need to file both that claim and this new one.
Determining liability is challenging. On one hand, this situation might be considered loss of control or failure to maintain control of the vehicle. However, considering you’ve been driving on bald tires knowingly, the rental company could also be considered liable. It may be difficult for your insurance to determine or prove liability in this case.
You are usually responsible for any damage to a rental vehicle. It’s unclear why you were driving a rental with worn-out tires, but one could argue that you assumed the risk by doing so. Additionally, there was some collision damage, not just damage from the tire blowout. Repair costs are likely to be high, and it’s uncertain how this incident might impact your CDL application.
I appreciate the guidance, Unclewaffl3s. It’s helpful to know that, generally speaking, my policy will cover me if I file a claim for damages to a rental car, particularly while my insured vehicle is being repaired. I’ll make sure to let my insurance company know about the rental because of the earlier claim. It sounds like a complicated matter when it comes to liability, therefore I’ll be working carefully with my insurance to handle it correctly.