Vehicle totalled.

Indio

Indio

Indio
A foreign tourist in a rental car hit us and caused major damage. They had bought coverage for the rental car not anything else.
My car is totaled, it was a 11 year old car. No collision coverage but everything else. It is sitting in a tow yard in Nevada (near Tahoe). I am not at fault for the accident per Nevada Highway Patrol (on site) but waiting for official accident report which takes two weeks.

Rental car company says it will take 30 days to asses whatever they have to asses. GEICO, my insurance, says I could be liable for storage fees ($42/day) since I don't have collision & if rental car company doesn't pay up.

Should I just sell car to those junk guys or wait for it play out?
If I do sell & once insurance companies sort it out will I still get some sort of payout for loss of car.I am not expecting much but even if it is $1000-$2000 that is still better than nothing.
 
byke

byke

Well-known member
I'd try to get the car out of there asap, because if you're happy with $1k, then it could end up being a wash if you're stuck with the storage fees, which negates your happiness.
 
295566

295566

Numbers McGee
Geico says the following:

The state of Nevada requires at least the following car insurance coverage for the legal operation of a motor vehicle: Bodily Injury Liability Coverage: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. Property Damage Liability Coverage: $50,000. Uninsured Motorist Coverage: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident.
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So, assuming you don't go over the max, you should be fine. Rental company will have to have their own insurance to cover the difference; if they tell you they don't they're full of shit.

Wait for it to play out, keep receipts for EVERYTHING incurred, and document EVERYTHING in writing.

You are not liable for a thing; they will have to pay to make you whole.

byke said:
I'd try to get the car out of there asap, because if you're happy with $1k, then it could end up being a wash if you're stuck with the storage fees, which negates your happiness.
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My experience is that insurance has to cover the storage fees. It's not OP's responsibility.
 
Indio

Indio

Indio
295566 said:
Geico says the following:



So, assuming you don't go over the max, you should be fine. Rental company will have to have their own insurance to cover the difference; if they tell you they don't they're full of shit.

Wait for it to play out, keep receipts for EVERYTHING incurred, and document EVERYTHING in writing.

You are not liable for a thing; they will have to pay to make you whole.



My experience is that insurance has to cover the storage fees. It's not OP's responsibility.
Click to expand...

Good point. GECIO(my insurance) is saying that that rental car insurance could refuse to cover depending on what coverage the tourist had etc and blah blah.

Since I didn't have collision coverage on it that is complicating it all.I will sleep over it tonight & then decide.
 
Johndicezx9

Johndicezx9

Rolls with it...
Once you get the NHP report and you are confirmed not being the responsible party, the rental car company is 100% responsible. In the meantime, they will make it as hard on you as they can.

Years ago I was hit head on by a tourist (albeit from Texas) in Pebble Beach in a rental car, they made it incredibly difficult, but I kept a copy of the CHP report for a couple of years as their subrogation entities were still contacting long after the incident.

Document everything, save every receipt....
 
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tuxumino

tuxumino

purrfect
the rental car company will say that it's the responsibility of the renter to have the right coverage, If the renter had full coverage on their own insurance policy you might get it from them. It would seem that since you didn't have collision that geico might not go to bat for you.
There is also the issue of medical, the adrenaline from the crash may make you and yours not aware of injuries they may of got.

glad you came out in one piece, wish you good luck with this.
 
Johndicezx9

Johndicezx9

Rolls with it...
tuxumino said:
the rental car company will say that it's the responsibility of the renter to have the right coverage, If the renter had full coverage on their own insurance policy you might get it from them. It would seem that since you didn't have collision that geico might not go to bat for you.
There is also the issue of medical, the adrenaline from the crash may make you and yours not aware of injuries they may of got.

glad you came out in one piece, wish you good luck with this.
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If they didn't, wouldn't that fall under the Uninsured Motorist with GIECO coverage?
 
S

Sharxfan

Well-known member
R3DS!X said:
get a lawyer
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+1000 I was reading through to see if anyone suggested it. A lot of lawyers that take these cases will do it for free until you get a settlement. At least you can get a couple of free consultations and see what they think your chances are. Also, did you get a checkup with your doctor for the family? You will want to make sure there are no hidden injuries that will crop up later.
 
ctwo

ctwo

Merely Rhetorical
295566 said:
Geico says the following:



So, assuming you don't go over the max, you should be fine. Rental company will have to have their own insurance to cover the difference; if they tell you they don't they're full of shit.

Wait for it to play out, keep receipts for EVERYTHING incurred, and document EVERYTHING in writing.

You are not liable for a thing; they will have to pay to make you whole.



My experience is that insurance has to cover the storage fees. It's not OP's responsibility.
Click to expand...

I'm just cynical about this working out. The insurance company was not operating the vehicle and probably had the right paperwork to put the liability on the renters who signed all that. Sounds like it would be sue and fight in court, a big rental company I assume. I'd be surprised if Geico did anything except raise any future premium.
 
Johndicezx9

Johndicezx9

Rolls with it...
See what the insurance companies offer first, remind them of the report results, that you are actually the victim, and give them their (particularly the rental car company insurance) chance to make it right, they don't want to go to court any more than you.

If they can't, don't, or won't, then mention that you have consulted with an attorney...

If you mention "lawyer" at the beginning, they may circle the wagons and not offer anything or tell you they aren't responsible.
 
mercurial

mercurial

Well-known member
You're probably fucked.

It's worth asking the rental company to pay but they may tell you to pound sand, and if they do, there is nothing you can do about it. Foreigner will go back to where they came from, good luck serving them.

I would suggest just leaving your car with the towing company and let them take care of the mangled heap. They will threaten you but credit agencies don't honor towing-related debt. Why waste your time driving up there to pay fees that are probably already higher than the scrap value.
 
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