How to Get a Rental Car After an Accident (Without Paying a Dime)
The at-fault driver's insurance owes you a rental for every day without your car. Here's how to make sure they actually pay.
You Shouldn't Pay for a Rental When It Wasn't Your Fault
If someone else caused the accident, their liability insurance owes you transportation for every day you're without your vehicle. This is separate from any rental coverage on your own policy.
There are two types of compensation:
Rental reimbursement — you rent a car and the at-fault driver's insurance pays for it. You're entitled to a comparable vehicle (not a compact if you drove an SUV).
Loss of use — even if you don't rent a car, you're owed the equivalent daily rental value. Used a friend's car? Took the bus? Went without? You still get paid.
Most people don't know about loss of use. Insurance companies will never bring it up.
How Long Does Insurance Pay for a Rental?
If your car is being repaired: The rental runs from the day of the accident until your car is returned from the shop. If the shop has parts delays or finds hidden damage, that's not your problem — the rental continues.
If your car is a total loss: Insurance typically tries to cut the rental 3–5 days after making a total loss offer. This is aggressive and often premature. You need time to review the offer, potentially negotiate a higher amount, and then find and purchase a replacement vehicle. A reasonable timeframe is 10–14 days after a reasonable settlement, not 3 days after a lowball offer.
We fight rental cutoffs. Under Utah R590-190, insurers must handle claims fairly. Cutting your rental before you can reasonably replace your vehicle isn't fair.
4 Tactics Insurance Uses to Cut Your Rental Early
Tactic 1: "Your repairs should be done by now." Repair timelines depend on the shop, parts availability, and hidden damage. The insurer doesn't get to decide when repairs are "should be done."
Tactic 2: "We already made you a settlement offer." Making an offer doesn't end your transportation needs. You need time to evaluate it, counter it if it's low, and find a replacement.
Tactic 3: "Your policy only covers 30 days of rental." Your policy limits don't apply when someone else was at fault. The at-fault driver's liability coverage has no per-day cap on rental reimbursement.
Tactic 4: "We'll only authorize a compact car." You're entitled to a comparable vehicle. If you drove a pickup truck, you get a pickup rental — not a Nissan Versa.
Document every conversation. If they cut your rental early, we file for loss of use compensation for the remaining days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use the insurance company's rental provider?
No. You can rent from any company. But using their preferred vendor (often Enterprise) allows direct billing, avoiding out-of-pocket costs.
What if I didn't rent a car?
You're still owed loss of use compensation — the equivalent daily rental rate for the period you were without your vehicle.
Think You're Owed Money?
Free case review. We'll tell you exactly what your claim is worth.
Call 801-799-9999