Springfield Missouri Rental Car Accident Attorney

Accident in a rental car, am I covered?

Whether your car is broken down or you are on vacation, the chances are at some point in your life you will be driving a rental car. Unfortunately your likelihood to be involved in an accident also increases during this time. This is mostly due to the unfamiliar environment you suddenly find yourself in. Similarly, you may be involved in an accident where the other driver was driving a rental car owned by companies like: Budget, Alamo, Enterprise, National, Hertz, Avis, and Thrifty.

Self-insured Rental Car Companies Obligations

All of these rental car companies operate within the State of Missouri and as a result are obligated to comply with minimum financial responsibility laws. However, many of these companies are self-insured, meaning they have agreed to provide coverage and pay Judgments under the law. The requirements for companies to qualify to be self-insured is codified in Section 303.220 RSMo.

Coverage Limits of Self-Insured Companies

The coverage amounts required under Missouri Law are set forth in Section 303.160 RSMo. This section allows self-insured companies, like rental car companies, to only provide the minimum financial responsibility limits required in the State of Missouri. These limits are $25,000.00 for one person and $50,000.00 per accident. These minimal limits cause huge problems for drivers injured by drivers of rental cars. The truth is that medical bills for even a minor accident can be well in excess of $10,000.00, leaving little to no room for ongoing treatment or pain and suffering.

Underinsured Motorist Coverage

As a result of these minimal coverage limits, it is important that you have under insured motorist coverage. This is insurance you purchase that covers excess damage in the event that the other driver’s coverage is not enough. For example, you get hit by a driver of a rental car and are injured. Your medical bills are $30,000.00 and your recovery was three (3) months. All the rental car company will pay to you is $25,000.00, leaving you owing medical bills and possibly being out lost wages and pain & suffering. However, if you have $50,000.00 in underinsured motorist coverage, you may be able to recover an additional $25,000.00 from your insurance company to help alleviate your losses.

Springfield Missouri Car Accident Attorney

Of course, the best bet is to not be involved in an accident while in a rental car. Springfield Missouri car accident attorney Joel Harris offers the following tips that may help a driver increase his or her confidence while driving a rental vehicle on unfamiliar roadways.

Reduce Accidents in unfamiliar situations

1. Be Aware of Traffic Laws in the Area

This is an essential tip particularly for people traveling outside the country. Aside from avoiding traffic violations, becoming aware of traffic laws allows drivers to know the traffic situation in a particular area. Roundabouts, strange traffic signs, or weird intersections may be present in some towns, and it will be easier for drivers to navigate these unfamiliar areas if they are knowledgeable about these features.

2. Be Aware of Your Surroundings

A herd of cows in the middle of the road may be a familiar sight for local residents, but it may be something new or surprising for visitors. Drivers from the south may find icy roads difficult to manage while city dwellers may not know how to handle traffic caused by farm vehicles. Drivers can prepare for any traffic condition if they are aware of the situation in a particular area. It is also advisable to know the weather conditions of a particular area before visiting it.

3. Be Aware of Landmarks

Drivers should be familiar with the map of an area they visit for the first time. While traveling, drivers should take into account the connection between notable landmarks and the map. Drivers can easily identify their location and reach their destination if they are familiar with notable structures.

4. Use a GPS

Many rental vehicles feature a GPS system as add-ons. Using a GPS add-on is a cost-effective method of avoiding getting lost.

Common Road Rules

1. Avoid Unexpected Direction Changes

Drivers should wait and find the next available exit if they miss an exit or turn. Unexpected changes in direction using a rental vehicle may result in illegal or unsafe maneuvers, which can endanger the passengers and other vehicles on the road.

2. Use Turn Signals Properly

When making a turn, it is essential for drivers to use the turn signal in advance to warn other drivers

Injuries can affect your daily life. Don't trust your future to
an insurance company designed to make money.

of an upcoming turn.

3. Slow Down

Being patient is necessary while driving on unfamiliar roads. Driving at a lower speed allows a driver to react appropriately to unforeseen obstructions on the road, such as curves, animals, potholes, and debris.

Check out Nixa Missouri Auto Accident Attorney’s web page for more information on what to do in an accident. Also look at Ozark Missouri Auto Accident Attorney’s law firm profile to learn more about the aggressive and powerful litigation techniques used by Harris Law. 

Rear-ended at an intersection?

Springfield, Ozark, and Nixa Auto Accident Attorney

Does this sound like you?

Rear-end Collision

You are on your way to (or from) work (school, store, etc...) and traffic is backed up. While stopped at a stop light you hear an unexpected crash from behind you. You immediately feel the force of a collision thrusting your car forward into the vehicle in front of you. During the impact your head is jerked back and then forward quickly. Your head barely misses the steering wheel as your seat belt (or airbag) catches you. Your entire head is numb, your arms are tingling, and your ears are ringing. Although you were stopped by your seat belt (or airbag), the impact of the collision was severe and took a tremendous toll on your body. You have just been involved in a rear-end collision, and according to the police officer who investigated the wreck, the at fault driver was inattentive. You may have suffered injuries to your neck, arms, shoulders, hands, and back.

Maybe you were the first hit. Maybe you were the last in a line of colliding vehicles. No matter your placement in the collision, your injuries are real, and you may be entitled to compensation.

Don't let this happen to you. If you were injured in an auto accident call Springfield, Missouri Auto Accident Attorney Joel Harris to learn your rights.

You decide to have a friend drive you to the hospital. It has been an hour since the collision and the pain is really beginning to take effect. 

Whiplash

Your doctors run a series of test and have diagnosed you with a Myofascial Lumbar Strain and Myofascial Cervical Strain which causes limited movement, throbbing pain and slow recovery. These are of course fancy terms for what is commonly know as whiplash. Even with limited treatment your medical bills will likely be thousands of dollars. Injuries such as these must be monitored as some never fully resolve, so be sure to follow your doctors orders on treatment.

Free Consultations

You will likely receive a call from the insurance company. In that call they may want to take your statement, have you sign a release, or even offer you money to settle. No matter the situation, your best bet is to speak with an auto accident attorney. Springfield Auto Accident Attorney Joel Harris offer's FREE consultations, and he doesn't get paid unless you win. Additionally, attorney fees are paid out of the recovery so there are no upfront costs or monies paid by you. Call 417-724-8003 or e-mail Harris Law (by clicking link) to schedule an appointment today. Harris Law will let you know up front whether you need an attorney and if they can help. Do not let the insurance company take advantage of you and your family.

No attorney fees unless we win

Did you get a traffic ticket? What now?

From time to time I hear comments or see posts on facebook or twitter from “innocent people” (the truth is Missouri Drivers are the second worst in the nation) about the ticket they recently received and their newly damaged “record”. And the question comes up, can I beat this? There are a variety of different options for a person that receives a ticket, but few of them are actually “beating” the ticket. Here are some potential choices:

Option 1: pay the ticket. While this option is a tough pill to swallow, it is certainly the quickest and easiest way to handle the matter. However, this option will have the greatest effect on your “record” and in the long run could end up costing you more money. While you do not have the cost of an attorney, the cost of your insurance rate increase over the years will exceed attorney fees many times over.

Option 2: Negotiate the ticket yourself. This option will require you to take off work and appear on your own behalf to negotiate the ticket yourself. In many cases you will be able to speak to the prosecutor and come to a plea agreement on the ticket. However, don’t be surprised if they offer the same deal as listed on the back of the ticket. The reason for this deals purely with your ability to recognize an appropriate disposition to the cause and your lack of negotiating power. However, under the right circumstances this option could potentially be the best route, but it could also be the worse.

Option 3: Fight the ticket. Whether you are fighting the ticket yourself or with the aid of an attorney, this option is rarely fruitful. At any level, your chances of winning are greatly increased with the aid of an attorney. However, while your ego may receive a boost from beating the system, your pocket book will take an even bigger hit. And I will go ahead and answer the question that comes up in these cases, “No, you cannot sue the state to get your money back from having to fight an invalid ticket.”

Option 4: Hire an attorney to negotiate. While it may seem bias due to my profession, this is clearly the best option. In the process of doing such an attorney can usually have one of two different outcomes:

1.       SIS – A suspended imposition of sentence is a great outcome that places you on probation for a period of time to be determined by the court. This is a great option because it does not include a fine and if you complete the probation period without further violations, then it never becomes a formal conviction against you. However, there are risks that you receive an additional ticket.

2.       Amend – This is the most common result of an attorney negotiating for you. In this option the Prosecutor will either amend the charge to defective equipment or a lower speeding resulting in no-points. These options are great because they result in no loss of points on your record, but the downside is that a fine usually is imposed.

No matter the option you choose, it is always best to consult with an attorney. Most provide free consultations and they can answer quickly how they can help you. Remember, most attorneys will charge around $150.00 to handle a ticket, and in most cases that means you never have to go to Court and the matter is resolved in the best way possible. Increased insurance rates, days off work, and points on your license could have devastating effects, so don’t just accept what the officer says and “pay it”. The extra $150.00 now, could pay off big in the future.