The Hertz Corporation—recognized as Hertz—is one of the many subsidiaries of Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. which operates more than 10,000 franchise locations worldwide. Hertz is one of the largest and most renowned rental car companies in the world. Hertz has been a convenient option for many people who have found the need to rent a car from a rental company.
Rental companies provide their clients with reliable transportation at convenient prices. However, rental cars are not exempt from being involved in auto accidents. If you suffered an accident in a rental car, you might have the right to file a claim and sue the auto rental company.
For more information about your right to sue, you should contact Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible. Our experienced attorneys will provide you with all the information you need to pursue your claim—including information about the average settlement value of an accident case against Hertz. For many victims of rental car accidents, information about the average value of a Hertz accident injury lawsuit is essential to the decision of pursuing legal action. If you would like more information about Hertz auto injury settlements, you must contact the experienced attorneys at Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible.
Could You Sue Hertz?
If you have ever been involved in a car accident before, you might be familiar with the process of identifying the liable party. In car accidents, the driver whose negligence or recklessness caused the accident is the liable party; any claims would be made against the liable party’s insurance. If the liable driver was uninsured or underinsured, you could make a claim against your insurance policy if you have the appropriate coverage. However, liability is different with rental car accidents. Considering the fact that Hertz only provides the rental vehicles to drivers, they do not carry any liability for accidents caused by reckless or negligent drivers.
So, could you sue Hertz? The short answer is yes; you could sue Hertz—but only under specific circumstances. To sue Hertz and become eligible to receive compensation for your injuries, Hertz must have been negligent. How could a rental company be negligent? How could a rental car company’s negligence affect you and cause your accident?
Let us consider some examples in which Hertz could be liable for an accident and subject to a lawsuit. There are certain requirements to rent a car; for example, a prospective renter must meet the minimum age requirement, have a valid driver’s license, and have a form of insurance. If Hertz rented a car to a driver who did not meet all the requirements, they could be liable, and you might have grounds to file a lawsuit in the case of an accident. Likewise, if the accident was caused by a mechanical issue with the rental car, Hertz could be found negligent, and you might have the right to sue.
Example of Hertz Liability in Past Accidents
Below, you will find two examples. In one example, Hertz was not liable even though a Hertz rental car was involved in the accident. In the other example, Hertz was liable for the accident. The value of the two example claims is also included below.
- A Hertz rental vehicle was rear-ended by a bus after the bus had been rear-ended by a cement truck. The victim, a passenger in the Hertz rental vehicle, suffered both ankle and knee injuries which required multiple surgeries. The driver of the cement truck—a commercial vehicle—was liable for the accident. The accident claim was settled for $350,000.
- A Hertz rental vehicle suddenly lost power and stalled on a freeway. The rental car was struck by another vehicle that could not avoid the stalled car. Another vehicle, in efforts to avoid the accident, struck the victim’s pickup truck. The pickup truck spun around and hit the center divider. The pickup truck was then hit by another vehicle. The passenger in the pickup truck was left seriously injured—suffering paralysis from the neck down. Hertz was liable for the accident for failing to address the cars mechanical problems. The accident claim was settled for $2.5 million.
As you can see, the settlement amounts for a car accident against Hertz are significantly higher than the accident in which a Hertz vehicle was involved, but the company was not liable. How much can you receive if you were in a Hertz car accident? What settlement payout should you expect? How much is a car accident case against Hertz rental company worth? If you were involved in a Hertz auto accident, you might be asking yourself many of these questions. The answers to these questions will be discussed in the following sections.
Uber and Lyft Rideshare Drivers Accident while Driving Hertz Rental Car
Over the years, rideshare services have become increasingly popular. So much that rental companies have started offering specific services to rideshare drivers, which typically include short term or long-term rental vehicles with some sort of insurance coverage. Although this coverage could definitely be beneficial in case of an accident, it can also create a lot of confusion – specifically in the case of an accident while driving for Uber or Lyft.
Some of the questions that arise include the following:
- What is Hertz insurance policy?
- Which insurance policy applies to rideshare accidents that occur in a rental car?
- Which one can I access to cover my accident – the rental insurance or the Uber/Lyft insurance?
- Can I access both insurances?
Most people are familiar with the insurance coverage that’s provided by both Uber and Lyft. They offer a $1 million dollar insurance policy that could apply to incidents. Whether the policy applies depends on when the incident happened. For example, if the incident occurred while the driver did not have the rideshare app, then no insurance applies. If the incident occurred while the driver had the rideshare app on but hadn’t accepted a trip yet, then partial coverage applies. If the incident occurred while the driver was on an active trip (i.e., the app is on, the driver accepted a trip, and the driver is either on the way to get the passenger or already driving the passenger), then full coverage applies.
Now, what insurance does Hertz offer? Hertz insurance applies only when the rideshare driver is driving off-app (that is, the rideshare app is off). In other words, this coverage will not apply if the incident occurs while the driver is active on a rideshare app. So, in general, it will be the rideshare insurance that applies in the case of an accident during a rideshare trip. Essentially, the Hertz rental insurance will only apply when the rideshare coverage does not apply (the rideshare coverage only applies while the rideshare app is on). You cannot access both insurance for the same accident whether its for personal injury or for property damage.
For more in-depth information about the insurance policy that you could access for accident damage recovery after an Uber or Lyft rideshare drivers accident while driving a Hertz rental car, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our law firm as soon as possible. Our lawyers are more than ready to provide you with all the information that you need.
The Factors that Affect the Value of a Claim
How much is your case worth? How much compensation you can receive from Hertz depends on the value of your claim. One of the most important factors that affect the value of your claim is the types of injuries sustained. Let us consider the second example mentioned above in which the victim was paralyzed from the neck down. The accident case is worth $2.5 million because the victim’s injuries were permanent and severe. The accident was worth millions, and it could be worthless if the victim’s injuries were minor—even if Hertz was still liable. In general, the more severe and permanent the injuries sustained, the higher the Hertz injury average settlements.
A lawsuit against Hertz is worth over $100,000 if the injuries justify it and you are out of work for some time. A wrongful death lawsuit is usually valued at over $1,000,000, especially if the company were grossly at fault for the incident.
What else affects the value of a claim? The effect of the victim’s injury on his or her ability to earn income also affects the value of the claim. Here, permanency of the injuries is essential. The longer a victim is unable to work, the higher the value of the claim. In the case of the victim who was paralyzed as a result of the Hertz accident, the ability to work and earn income was permanently lost.
The victim’s claim was valued at millions, but it can be worth more if the victim was younger at the time of the accident. Other factors that affect the average compensation for an accident involving a Hertz car include the mental and emotional distress caused by the accident, among others. For more information about Hertz accident settlement amounts, you must contact the attorneys at Normandie Law Firm for more information about your Hertz accident claim.
The Compensation Available for Recovery
The factors that affect the average car accident settlement amounts against Hertz also dictate the compensation that victims are eligible to receive. Although every claim is different, all victims of Hertz rental car accidents are eligible to receive some of the following categories of compensation:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Loss of consortium
- Funeral and burial costs
- Punitive damages
As you can see, there are many categories of compensation available for recovery—some of which are only available for wrongful death claims. Since the compensation available for recover depends on the type of claim filed and the specific details of the accident, victims must contact our Hertz accident attorneys as soon as possible. When you contact our law firm and speak with our knowledgeable attorneys, you can be certain that you will recover the compensation that you deserve. Our aggressive attorneys will fight for your right to recover the highest amount of compensation available for your claim. Our lawyers will evaluate every detail of your accident to ensure that the settlement amount for your Hertz claim is as high as possible. Do not hesitate; contact Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible.
Normandie Law Firm
If you were involved in a Hertz rental car accident, you might have grounds to file a lawsuit and receive compensation. If Hertz is liable for your accident and your injuries, you must contact our attorneys to begin your legal process against Hertz as soon as possible. Our law firm offers free consultations and free second opinions to all victims of Hertz accidents. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our lawyers will answer your questions, address your concerns, and provide you with all the information you need to take action against Hertz. If you were left with confusion, doubts, and unanswered questions after speaking with an incompetent attorney, you could benefit from our free second opinions. Our attorneys will never rush through your claim and neglect or overlook key details that affect your claim’s outcome. Our attorneys will also never rush to settle your claim—we will give you and your claim all the time necessary to ensure that you recover the compensation you deserve.
Our free consultation and free second opinions are available through our firm’s Zero-Fee guarantee. Our Zero-Fee guarantee ensures that our clients never have to worry about paying any upfront legal fees for our legal services. Our Zero-Fee guarantee also establishes our strict contingency status—our clients will never be required to pay legal fees until after our attorneys win their claims. If you do not win your claim against Hertz, you will not pay. Do not wait; call us today.
