Rental car agencies have provided services to customers for decades, and they have had various insurance policies that protect drivers in case of accidents. Recently, however, a new type of transportation option has become used. Turo is a rental car agency that has a twist to it: instead of providing its own supply of rental cars, it allows renters to connect with individuals who wish to rent their cars out and make money as well. It’s a new addition to the gig economy; essentially, it has been labeled as AirBNB for cars. However, trusting anyone else with your car can be risky; there have been numerous accidents and crashes reported by people who let individuals rent their personal vehicles, and not all of these crashes have resulted in favorable lawsuits and satisfactory settlements by the insurance company. In fact, most haven’t gone very far at all. Our team of attorneys at Normandie Law Firm in Los Angeles promises to help bring you the compensation you deserve if someone rented a car through Turo and got into an accident or if a Turo rented car crashed into you.
Information on Turo
Turo works as such: a user will input the desired travel dates and location into the app, and a host of cars will come up. The user will then select the vehicle he wants, and the owner of the car will either meet up with the renter or deliver the vehicle to him. The user should replace the gas he used up and meet the owner to drop off the car once the trip has concluded.
This method is generally cheaper than renting a vehicle from an agency like Avis or Budget. It also allows people to do everything autonomously via their phones; they do not have to go through Turo as a middleman – it is already built in to the app.
In order to rent from Turo, a prospective individual must be verified. This process includes providing a phone number in your own name for Turo to contact you through, possessing auto insurance that meets Turo’s criteria, registering for the Turo services, passing a background check, and having a clean driving history. You must also have a valid driver’s license to present to the owner of the car when you pick up the vehicle. Depending on the state, you may have to be 21 or over the age of 25 to rent the car in the first place.
Although this would appear to have many bases covered, the reality is that accidents can still happen to even the best of drivers. For this reason, Turo offers insurance coverage through Liberty Mutual that protects both hosts and renters.
Hosts have coverage options that provide them with $1,000,000 in liability in case someone is injured while in their vehicles. They can also choose to waive this option and provide their own commercial insurance; in this case, the expenses would not be covered by Turo. The different tiers of coverage include various perks; for example, the Premium plan includes exterior wear and tear coverage and a reimbursement of lost income, while both the Standard and Premium plans will provide you with a replacement vehicle while yours is being repaired. The Basic plan, on the other hand, has a deductible for the host in the event of damage to the car.
Renters have similar options for their insurance plans. They also have the one million dollar insurance policy and have the option to waive coverage so that their own personal insurance would cover the expenses up to a certain point, or they would have to pay out of pocket.
If you were hurt because a Turo car hit you, because you were involved in an accident while renting a Turo vehicle, or if you wish to sue Turo for not paying out a settlement if your rented vehicle were damaged, contact one of our Turo rent-a-car accident attorneys in California.
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Legal Details of a Turo Accident
Generally, you can file a lawsuit against Turo if they did not do their due diligence in allowing a certain individual to rent a vehicle. If they allowed someone who has a reckless driving record and did not adequately pass a background check to rent a vehicle, they can be held partially responsible, and you could sue Turo for your injuries.
Turo is different from other rental agencies because they do not own the rented vehicles. If there were a defect in a normal rental vehicle and an accident happened, you could sue the company for not properly maintain the car. However, Turo does not investigate the vehicles that are being rented and does not check to make sure they are completely safe. It is difficult to sue Turo rental company for your injuries if you were hurt because of a malfunction with the vehicle. You will need a skilled Turo rental car accident lawyer to handle your case.
Can I sue Turo for an accident?
Yes, you can sue Turo for an accident if they played a part in the accident or if they do not abide by their insurance policy that you opted into. For example, Turo may claim that you were at fault for the accident and that they will not pay any damages. In this situation, it is important that you file a Turo accident lawsuit. A Turo rental car injury attorney can help you through the process.
A class action lawsuit is a claim that is filed by numerous plaintiffs against the defendant; in this case, Turo. If there were multiple people who were affected by the accidents while driving vehicles listed on Turo, you can join a class action lawsuit. All plaintiffs will collect their evidence and use it to prove that the company was negligent in some way or was responsible for the incidents. The plus side is that there is a lot of proof and evidence, as many individuals will contribute to the cause. However, the total settlement value will be distributed amongst the winners, leading to smaller amounts per party. This is a problem if you were severely hurt, as your case may be deemed as important as someone who was not majorly injured, and you could thus not receive all the compensation you need. An attorney can assist you with determining if you should join a class action lawsuit or maintain a personal injury claim.
After a Crash with a Turo Vehicle
If you have been involved in an accident with a Turo car, you should make sure to take the following steps.
- Get medical attention immediately, even if you feel you were not severely hurt
- Call the police to have an investigation and to request a copy of the police report
- Alert Turo of the accident so they can tell the host and be prepared for the insurance claim
- Take pictures of your injuries, the accident scene, the damage to the cars, and more
- Record the insurance information and personal details of the other driver
- Interview eyewitnesses for their statements and testimonies
- Contact a Turo rent-a-car accident lawyer for help starting your lawsuit
Some individuals may make crucial mistakes, such as forgetting to get the insurance information of the responsible driver, leaving the scene of the accident, or refusing medical treatment. If you were hurt and do not go to the doctor as quickly as possible, you run the risk of your claim being denied; the insurance agent can state that you were clearly not hurt that badly if you could postpone medical help.
Worth of a Turo Injury Lawsuit
In order to determine the value of your case, the insurance agent will examine your injuries. If you were severely hurt and required various medical treatments, and the injuries had a profound impact on your career or future job opportunities, you could face a large settlement. On the other hand, minor injuries that quickly healed and did not have an effect on your day to day life will lead to a lower value.
Some other factors that play a role in your case value include your age, career choice, degree of fault, and more.
Your Rightful Compensation
As a victim of a Turo car accident, you should be covered for all the ensuing damages. The responsible party should be held responsible and made to take care of your debts and expenses stemming from the injuries. Our California accident attorneys can help you earn the following types of compensation:
- Medical bills from the past and future
- Lost wages from the past and future
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering damages
It may be difficult for you to receive such restitution if you pursue a claim by yourself with no legal representation. An attorney can take care of all the legwork for you and negotiate the best deal while you focus on healing from your injuries. You may not have the knowledge and experience required to effectively win a lawsuit, and the ensuing stress may delay the recovery process.
Call Normandie Law Firm for more assistance in filing your Turo lawsuit.
Let Us Help You
Normandie Law Firm in Los Angeles is one of the premier firms that handles Turo accident cases. We have a team of aggressive lawyers who will not stop pursuing your rightful compensation until we are satisfied with the result. We serve numerous locations in California, including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Fresno, Long Beach, Modesto, and Santa Monica. Turo is responsible for the health and safety of individuals who rent cars using its service, and we will make sure they pay if you are injured in an accident. If Turo does not agree to a settlement, we will take them to court to win your case.
Call us today to set up a free legal consultation with an experienced attorney. You can ask us any questions you want and we’ll give you insight into the legal process. We’ll also tell you what we feel we can win for your lawsuit. All of our consultations are confidential, so none of your private details will be shared with anyone else.
If you choose us to represent you, we will give you our zero fee guarantee; this promises that you won’t have to spend any out of pocket expenses for our services. Your savings will remain untouched throughout the course of your case. We won’t get paid unless and until we win, and the money will be taken from the settlement we win for you. Losing your case means we receive nothing at all and you won’t owe us payment for legal services. You’ll be able to walk away debt-free to our firm and we’ll eat the costs of the case ourselves.
Contact Normandie Law Firm to get assistance from one of our Turo injury accident lawyers in Los Angeles.
