Experiencing an accident while driving a rental car is a stressful and potentially panic-inducing situation for drivers. However, the most important thing in such moments is to stay calm and follow the correct steps in order. This is because the procedures followed after an accident with a rental car directly affect the insurance process, damage assessment, responsibilities in the rental agreement, and potential additional costs.
Whether the accident involves minor material damage or is a more serious traffic accident, the driver's priority must be to ensure life safety. The condition of the passengers in the vehicle should be checked, necessary safety precautions must be taken if there are other risks in the vicinity, and emergency medical services should be called if necessary.
When you have an accident with a rental car, simply reaching an agreement with the other party or pulling the vehicle over is not enough. It is necessary to inform the rental company, prepare an accident report, take photographs, complete the insurance documents, and act in accordance with the procedures specified in the contract.
Users who want to manage the car rental process safely and in a planned manner can review the car rental options via Express Rent a Car.
When an accident occurs, the first thing to do is to ensure the safety of the people in the vehicle and others nearby. If the vehicle is drivable and poses a danger to the flow of traffic, it can be moved to a safe spot. However, if an accident involving injuries or serious damage is concerned, it may be more appropriate not to change the position of the vehicles.
Hazard lights should be turned on, a warning triangle reflector must be placed, and other drivers should be made aware of the accident area. These safety precautions are of vital importance, especially in accidents that occur at night, in rainy weather, or in heavy traffic.
If anyone is injured in the accident, the 112 Emergency Call Center should be phoned without losing time. Injured persons should not be moved unconsciously before medical teams arrive at the scene. Insurance, report, or vehicle procedures should not be initiated until life safety is secured.
One of the most important steps when you have an accident with a rental car is to notify the company you rented the vehicle from. Car rental agreements generally state that the company must be informed within a certain period of time in the event of an accident, damage, or malfunction. Failure to make this notification may cause problems during the insurance process.
When informing the rental company, where and when the accident occurred, what damage was sustained by the vehicle, whether other vehicles or persons were involved in the accident, and whether official teams were called should be clearly explained.
The rental company can guide the driver on the steps to follow. In some cases, solutions such as roadside assistance, towing support, or vehicle replacement may be offered. Those who wish to review car rental services from different locations throughout Turkey can take a look at the delivery and return zones on the rental locations page.
An accident report (Joint Accident Report) is a document in which the parties in traffic accidents involving only material damage declare the way the accident occurred in writing. This report is of great importance for initiating insurance procedures. In rental cars, the accident report must also be filled out correctly and completely.
The report must include driver information, vehicle license plates, insurance details, how the accident occurred, a sketch of the scene, and the signatures of the parties. Incomplete, incorrect, or unsigned reports may cause the insurance process to be prolonged or the damage costs to be billed to the user.
One should not rush when filling out the accident report, and the way the incident occurred must be explained clearly and accurately. If there is a disagreement between the parties or if the other party does not want to sign the report, support should be requested from official teams.
If this information is prepared completely, the insurance evaluation process will progress more smoothly.
Calling the police may not be mandatory in every accident. In accidents involving only material damage where the parties can reach an agreement, an accident report may be sufficient. However, in certain cases, official teams must come to the scene.
The police or gendarmerie must be called in the following situations:
In such cases, keeping an official report is important for insurance and legal processes. Especially in rental cars, incomplete official procedures can increase the driver's liability.
One of the most important pieces of evidence after an accident in a rental car is the photo and video records. The area where the accident occurred, the position of the vehicles, the damaged areas, road conditions, traffic signs, and license plate information must be recorded.
When taking photos, focusing only on the damaged area is not enough. The general view of the accident, the position of the vehicles relative to each other, and environmental conditions should also be captured. These records play an important role during the insurance company's damage assessment.
In addition, it is also important that pre-existing damages were recorded at the time of vehicle delivery. This makes it easier to distinguish between new damages that occurred after the accident and old damages.
The insurance process for rental cars may vary depending on the rental agreement and insurance coverage. Car rental companies usually deliver their vehicles with certain insurance coverages. However, under what conditions these insurances apply and what situations they cover must be known.
For the insurance process to begin after an accident, the accident report, photographs, police report (if any), and other required documents must be submitted to the rental company. The company can open a damage file with the insurance company using these documents.
It is very important for the driver to act in accordance with the contract for insurance purposes. For example, the vehicle being driven by a person whose name is not in the contract, driving under the influence of alcohol, or failing to keep a report after an accident may invalidate the insurance coverage.
For the insurance to be valid after an accident in a rental car, the driver must act in accordance with the terms of the agreement. In some cases, the insurance may be deactivated and the damage cost may be requested from the user.
For this reason, insurance conditions should be read carefully when receiving the vehicle, and any points that are not understood should be asked to the rental company.
Who will pay for the damage costs after an accident in a rental car depends on many factors. The fault rate in the accident, insurance coverage, rental agreement, accident report, and whether the driver acted in accordance with the contract are decisive in this process.
If the driver acted in accordance with the terms of the agreement, prepared the necessary reports, and did not violate the insurance coverage, the damage can be covered by the insurance. However, there may be a deductible (excess) fee in some insurance packages. In this case, a certain part of the damage may be paid by the user.
If the driver acted contrary to the contract—for example, if they drove the vehicle under the influence of alcohol or if the vehicle was used by someone not included in the contract—the insurance may be considered invalid. In such a case, the entire damage cost may be requested from the user.
The process must also be managed carefully if a single-vehicle accident occurs with a rental car. In the event of hitting a pole, barrier, pavement, wall, or a stationary object, the rental company must be informed, even if the incident seems minor.
In single-vehicle accidents, some drivers may think there is no need to keep a report. However, when a rental car is involved, an official record may be required for the damage to be evaluated within the scope of insurance. Therefore, it may be necessary to call the police or gendarmerie depending on the company's guidance.
Calling official teams is especially important in cases of serious damage, airbag deployment, the vehicle being unable to run, or damage to public property.
The vehicle may be slightly damaged after the accident and may continue to work. However, even in this case, it may not be correct for the driver to continue on their way on their own decision. First of all, the rental company should be informed and confirmation must be obtained regarding whether the vehicle can continue to be used.
Some damages may look small from the outside but can affect driving safety. It can be risky to continue using the vehicle, especially if there is damage to the tires, rims, brakes, steering, headlights, or radiator area.
Making a long journey with a damaged vehicle without company approval can cause problems in terms of both safety and contract responsibility.
If the vehicle does not move or cannot be used safely after the accident, towing support may be required. In this case, the driver must contact the rental company before trying to have the vehicle towed by their own means.
The rental company can direct you to contracted roadside assistance or towing services. In this process, from where the vehicle will be picked up, to which service center it will be taken, and whether a replacement vehicle will be given to the user is determined by the company.
If the vehicle is undrivable and the journey needs to continue, a vehicle replacement can be requested. However, this option may vary depending on the contract terms and the company's vehicle availability.
It is possible to replace the vehicle after an accident with a rental car, but this does not always happen automatically. The size of the accident, fault status, insurance coverage, contract terms, and the company's vehicle availability affect the vehicle replacement process.
If the vehicle is in an unusable condition, the rental company may allocate a different vehicle under appropriate conditions. However, if the driver acted contrary to the contract or if the insurance was deemed invalid, an additional fee may be requested for the vehicle replacement.
To see different vehicle categories and choose a vehicle suitable for your needs before going on a trip, the rental vehicles page can be reviewed.
If the other driver involved in the accident is at fault, this situation is determined by the accident report and insurance evaluation. However, even if the other party is at fault, the person using the rental car must prepare the necessary documents completely.
The other party's traffic insurance may step in to cover the damage. However, if the report is missing, there are no photos, or the rental company has not been informed, the process may be prolonged. Therefore, it would be wrong to leave the scene of the accident without taking action with the thought that "the other party is at fault".
The damage process becomes clear after the fault rate is evaluated by the insurance companies. At this stage, the guidance of the rental company should be followed.
If the driver is at fault in an accident made with a rental car, insurance coverage and deductible conditions come into play. If the driver acted in accordance with the contract and the necessary documents have been completed, the damage can be evaluated within the scope of insurance.
However, if there is an insurance package with an excess/deductible, the user may have to pay up to a certain amount. For this reason, whether there is an insurance deductible must be learned when renting a car.
The most important point in accidents where the driver is at fault is not to have engaged in a behavior that would invalidate the insurance. Otherwise, the entire damage may be requested from the user.
Some mistakes after making an accident with a rental car can make the process more complicated. These mistakes can affect insurance coverage or cause the driver to assume more financial responsibility.
The main mistakes to avoid after an accident are:
Avoiding these mistakes ensures that both the insurance process and rental transactions progress more smoothly.
Although it is not possible to completely eliminate the risk of accidents, this risk can be significantly reduced with careful driving. The process of getting used to the vehicle is particularly important when using a rental car. The driver should quickly get to know the vehicle's braking response, viewing angles, gear structure, and dimensions.
The following points should be considered for safe driving:
Especially drivers who rent a car from the airport should take a road after resting, as they may be tired after a long flight. Those who want to get information about airport and city delivery advantages can review the free vehicle delivery and drop-off content.
Certain documents need to be prepared for the insurance process when an accident occurs with a rental car. If these documents are missing, a damage file may not be opened or the process may be extended.
Generally, the required documents are:
These documents must be submitted to the rental company completely. It is also useful to take a photo of these documents or keep a digital copy.
The rental agreement is the most important document determining the responsibilities of the parties in case of an accident. Under what conditions the driver will be responsible, under what circumstances the insurance will be valid, whether there is a deductible fee, and the procedures to be followed after an accident are included in the agreement.
Therefore, the contract should be read carefully when receiving the vehicle. Items such as insurance coverage, damage procedure, additional driver conditions, usage limits, and accident notification period are particularly important.
When the contract is signed without being read, the user may learn some responsibilities later. This can lead to facing unexpected costs after an accident.
The following steps should be followed to manage the process more easily when an accident occurs with a rental car:
The complete application of these steps protects both the driver's rights and helps the insurance process progress faster.
First of all, life safety should be ensured; 112 should be called if there is an injury. Then, the rental company must be informed. The police or gendarmerie should also be called in necessary cases.
An accident report is very important for the insurance process in accidents involving material damage. If the parties can agree, the report must be filled out completely.
Who pays for the damage depends on the insurance coverage, the fault rate, and the rental agreement. In usage compliant with the contract, the damage can be evaluated within the scope of insurance.
Failure to inform the company can cause problems in the insurance process and may result in the damage cost being billed to the user.
No. However, the police or gendarmerie must be called in situations such as injury, disagreement between the parties, suspicion of a drunk driver, driving without a license, or damage to public property.
In single-vehicle accidents, the rental company must also be informed, the damage should be photographed, and official action must be taken according to the company's guidance.
Vehicle replacement can be done depending on the size of the accident, insurance coverage, contract terms, and the company's vehicle availability.
Insurance may be considered invalid in cases such as drunk driving, driving without a license, the vehicle being used by a person whose name is not in the contract, failure to keep a report, or failure to inform the company.
