Rental Car Accidents in Sacramento

Statistically speaking, drivers are more likely to get into an accident while driving a rental car than their own personal vehicle. It makes sense. A driver is less likely to be familiar with how the rental car handles and, many times, they’re driving in an unfamiliar location. California has the nation’s largest rental car industry.

As the state’s capital, which welcomes thousands of government workers and tourists annually, it would make sense that Sacramento has a high rate of rental car usage and a high rate of rental car accidents.

If you’ve been injured in a rental car accident in Sacramento, California, it’s important to explore your legal rights. Several factors can influence your ability to recover compensation, including fault and applicable insurance coverage. Working with an experienced Sacramento car accident lawyer at Singleton Schreiber can set the stage for the case results you deserve.

We’re local lawyers backed by national resources and a clearly defined ability to win top-tier results for our clients. In fact, our award-winning California trial attorneys have helped clients win over $2.5 Billion in monetary awards.

Don’t deal with the consequences of a rental car accident in Sacramento on your own. Trust our top-rated legal team to help you make things right. Your first consultation is free, so contact our Sacramento law office today.

How Do I Recover Compensation If I’ve Been Hurt By a Driver in a Rental Car?

California follows a fault-based system for car insurance.

All drivers are required to carry minimum amounts of coverage which, for 2025, includes: 

• $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident in bodily injury coverage, and
• $15,000 per accident for property damage.

When a driver causes an accident, their insurance company will be responsible for crash-related damages, up to the driver’s insurance policy limits.

In most cases, a driver’s personal car insurance policy will cover any accidents they cause while driving a rental car in Sacramento. 

Personal car insurance coverage - including liability, comprehensive, and collision benefits - will apply if the driver is clearly stated as an authorized driver on the rental agreement and is using the vehicle for agreed-upon purposes.

So, if you get into a car accident with a driver in a rental car, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to file a claim with their personal insurance company to recover compensation for your crash-related damages.

What if the driver doesn’t have their own car? In these situations, the driver would be required to purchase coverage from the rental company. The types of benefits that would be available would depend on the type of coverage the rental car driver bought.

Many times, the following policies can be purchased:

• Personal accident insurance, or PAI, which pays for medical bills arising from an accident
• Supplemental liability insurance, or SLI, which pays for damages suffered by a third-party
• Personal effects coverage, or PEC, to cover costs related to property damage or theft in the rental car

Drivers can also purchase collision waiver damage to sidestep responsibility for the costs of repairing damage to the rental car while it’s in their possession.

If the rental car driver is uninsured, you’ll reserve the right to sue them personally or to assert a lawsuit against another at-fault party.

What Happens If I’m Blamed For a Rental Car Accident in Sacramento?

If you’re genuinely to blame for a rental car accident in Sacramento, your insurance benefits - either through your personal policy or those purchased from the rental company - will cover the costs of crash-related damages.

California operates under a system of pure comparative negligence, which means that your liability for another person’s injuries is dependent on the role you play in causing a car accident. So, it’s not uncommon for insurance adjusters and parties involved in collisions to point fingers and attempt to cast blame - both in an effort to limit their liability for an accident and increase how much they can recover from another party.

So, there’s a chance you’ll be blamed for a rental car accident even if you’re not at fault. If you don’t fight back against these claims, it’ll limit your ability to recover compensation and increase how much your insurance company will have to pay in damages - which can potentially cause your insurance premiums to go up.

Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Attorney After a Rental Car Accident in Sacramento?

Just like accidents involving personally owned vehicles, the consequences of a rental car accident can be devastating. Depending on the type of crash, where you’re seated in the vehicle, the speed at which the collision occurs, and other factors, it’s possible to suffer severe physical injuries - including broken bones, spinal cord injuries, burn injuries, and amputation. You deserve compensation to help you deal with resulting medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Since a rental was involved in the crash, the claims process can be more of a challenge. Hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer in Sacramento can be one of the best decisions you can make. 

Choosing Singleton Schreiber puts a team of award-winning litigators with decades of experience on your side. Our undeniable ability to change the lives of the people we represent is evident in the $2.5 Billion (and counting) we’ve recovered from insurance companies, vehicle manufacturers, government agencies, and other powerful entities.

You’ll benefit from our winning legal strategies as we handle all aspects of your rental car accident case:

• Investigate your rental car accident
• Identify the insurance policies that apply to your claim, as well as those policy’s respective limits
• Gather evidence to build a strong legal claim for damages
• Bring in expert witnesses, when appropriate, to consult with our legal team on non-legal elements of your case
• Ensure your claim complies with applicable state law and procedures, including the appropriate statute of limitations
• Take on the insurance company and force them to make you a settlement offer that represents what your rental car accident claim is worth
• Fight for your best interests at trial if the insurance company won’t make things right

Don’t suffer the consequences of a rental car accident in Sacramento on your own. Call Singleton Schreiber and trust us to help you achieve the case results you deserve. Your first consultation is free, so contact our Sacramento, CA, law office now.