Rental cars are commonly used by individuals who visit cities for extended periods of time and need to travel around the region. Relying on public transportation may not fit their schedules, and alternate methods like taxicabs or rideshare vehicles can become pricey very quickly. These renters will thus turn to companies like National to provide working vehicles that will get them to all their destinations. Of course, as is the risk with getting behind the wheel of any vehicle, accidents happen, and when they do, you should be prepared for the ensuing confusion and protocol. An auto accident with a National vehicle can result in compensation for your damages if you take legal action against the responsible party. Normandie Law Firm, a law firm that can take cases for a crash with a National car, can help you sue National for an accident by a rental car or file a claim against the liable driver.
Car Accident Information
If a person driving a National rental car crashed into you, there could be numerous reasons for the accident. He may have been distracted while driving, using his phone to search for directions or to answer messages; he could have been driving recklessly by speeding and running stop signs; or he could have been unaware of right of way laws, like the inability to turn on red or when to merge on the freeway. All of these situations can point to the driver being negligent when he crashed into you.
In order to file personal injury lawsuits, you must be able to prove the negligent behavior of a driver is what caused you physical harm. There are four points of negligence:
- You were owed a duty of care. The driver must take care to not harm any other drivers, passengers, or pedestrians while he is behind the wheel.
- The duty of care was breached. By driving carelessly, the driver put other people in danger.
- The breach resulted in an accident. His reckless driving caused a rear end crash, head on collision, or other kind of auto incident.
- The accident caused actual physical harm. If you were not physically injured, you would not be able to collect certain damages, like medical expenses and noneconomic compensation.
With the help of an attorney that has experience with car rental company accident cases, you could prove these points of negligence and be on your way to receiving compensation for your damages. Your compensation offer may be increased if your injuries have a great impact on your life and career. For example, if your job requires you to use your hands all of the time, as in an engineering or mechanic position, you may receive numerous damages if you sustain nerve damage or muscle damage to your hands. Being prevented from continuing your job or forcing you to seek other opportunities can result in a large settlement.
Some of the injuries that can arise from car accidents include:
- Fractures
- Sprains
- Strained muscles
- Broken bones
- Neck injuries
- Back and spinal cord damage
- Brain damage and traumatic brain injuries
- Concussions and closed head wounds
- Lacerations, bruises, abrasions, and cuts
- Burns
- Muscle damage
- Nerve damage
- Amputated limbs
- Coma
- Paraplegia or quadriplegia
- Death
If you sustained injuries after an accident with a National rental car, call a rental car accident attorney in Los Angeles, California, today.
National Injury Cases
Victims of car accidents sometimes make the mistake of attempting to file a lawsuit against National for damages. National is generally not responsible for the actions of those who drive rental cars. People who completed the transaction have their own insurance policies and are governed by the rules of the road as opposed to National’s rules. This means that if you are in an accident with someone driving a National car, you will have to take legal action against the individual and his insurance agency.
There is also the existence of a collision damage waiver; National may provide this to its drivers at an additional cost, which will essentially transfer damages done to the rental to the responsibility of the company, and not the driver. This only works for damaged property, though; liability coverage, or physical harm, is not covered.
The exceptions to not being able to sue the rental agency are in effect when National can be partially or wholly blamed for the incident. National has to inspect all of its vehicles when customers return them, and if there are any issues with the cars, the problems must be fixed before the car is again available for rent. Sometimes, National may allow cars to be driven with faulty brakes or engine problems, which can easily cause potentially fatal accidents. The driver may not have been at fault if a problem with the vehicle brought about the crash.
Additionally, if National allowed someone to rent a vehicle when the person should not have been able to, the company could be blamed for any misdeeds or incidents. Individuals must have valid licenses, updated insurances, and be of legal age to rent cars. If National released a car to someone without one of these prerequisites, you could file a National injury claim lawsuit if you are harmed in a crash.
For more help figuring out which party you should sue, contact a Los Angeles attorney for National accident injury cases.
Statute of Limitations
Remember that there is a two year deadline on filing personal injury lawsuits. This means that once you have been injured, you have two years from the date of the injury or its discovery to take legal action. If you wait too long, you will be unable to receive compensation for your damages.
A rental car accident injury lawyer can help you receive an extension on the statute if circumstances permit it. For instance, if you were a minor at the time of the accident, your statute of limitations would not begin until the day you turn 18 years old. Further, if you were harmed to such an extent that you were mentally or physically unable to file a lawsuit, the deadline would not start until you were healthy and competent.
For more information on when these exceptions are applicable, call a lawyer in Los Angeles for National injury lawsuits.
Earnings
One of our lawyers with experience in suing rent-a-car for an accident can help you earn various types of damages for your accident. You should not be expected to cover your own expenses if another driver were negligent in his actions. You may be able to receive a settlement offer that includes the following:
- Medical bills (surgery costs, hospitalization, ambulatory transportation fees, medication, physical therapy, and more) from the past and future
- Lost wages from the past and future, if you require additional time to recover or receive other medical treatments
- Property damage to your vehicle or personal items
- Pain and suffering damages (fear, PTSD, anxiety, psychological trauma, emotional stress)
- Punitive damages (handed out to punish the defendant in instances of gross negligence; many juries think they are excessive, and only a skilled attorney will be capable of winning them for your settlement)
In the unfortunate event that a loved one or family member passes away due to a rental car accident, you could file a wrongful death lawsuit. This would enable you to receive coverage for funeral and burial expenses, loss of consortium, pre-death medical bills and pain and suffering, loss of expected savings and inheritance, and more.
Call our law firm to speak with an attorney to sue National for an injury.
Normandie: Your Best Choice
If you are in need of a law firm that handles accident claims cases against National rental car, Normandie is the perfect option for you. Our accomplished attorneys have years of experience handling rental car accident lawsuits and we know the ins and outs of getting you the fairest compensation you deserve. Our aggressive lawyers will do all we can to bring you fair restitution and will not stop until you are satisfied with the settlement offer.
Call our Los Angeles, California, offices today to schedule a free legal consultation with a qualified attorney. You will be given information about your lawsuit and we will tell you what we believe we can earn for you. All of our consultations are completely confidential; none of your private details will be exposed anywhere outside of our offices.
If you select us to represent you, you will also have our zero fee guarantee on your case, which means that you will pay no out of pocket expenses at all throughout the litigation process. We will only get paid if we win your claim and bring you a settlement, and the fees will be taken from the settlement itself. The responsible party will essentially pay your legal bills as well as compensate you for your injuries. If we lose your claim, we will not receive any payment at all, and you walk away owing nothing to anyone.
Contact Normandie Law Firm to get started filing a lawsuit against National for a rental car accident injury.
