Rental cars and trucks are common in Las Vegas, with millions of tourists visiting Sin City every year and thousands moving to the Vegas Valley to enjoy its affordable lifestyle. While renting a car or moving van is convenient, it can also be problematic; liability for Las Vegas rental accidents can be confusing, often with multiple companies to deal with. Thankfully, Lerner and Rowe’s Las Vegas rental accidents lawyers are available to help you sort matters out quickly.
Las Vegas Car Insurance Requirements
By law, all Nevada drivers must have at least “15/30/10” coverage. The minimum requirement means $15,000 per person for injury, $30,000 per accident for injury, and $10,000 per accident for car/property damage. This extends to insurance for Las Vegas rental accidents.
Most tourists renting cars in Las Vegas just take the minimum, ignoring the confusion with excess insurance coverage offered by rental agencies. The same goes for people renting trucks to move their belongings to Nevada.
In Nevada, rental car agents do not ask if you have personal auto insurance. However, agents will often try to sell additional insurance protection. If you do not already have auto insurance coverage, you should strongly consider purchasing all of the insurance offered by the rental car agency including Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) coverage.
This protects you from incurring heavy expenses due to Las Vegas rental accidents and from the rental car agency filing suit if their car becomes damaged. This is especially important during the summer months, when Las Vegas car accidents are more common. Although Nevada is an at-fault state for determining liability in vehicle accidents, you may be liable for damages in Las Vegas rental accidents that you have not caused.
What About My Personal Car Insurance?
When renting a vehicle, you should scrutinize your policy or check with your insurance agency beforehand to discover your coverage. After knowing your coverage, you can decide what additional insurance to purchase, if any. In most cases, your personal insurance policy covers most damage, so purchasing additional coverage may not be necessary.
Collision, comprehensive, and liability coverage on your personal car coverage will typically extend to your Las Vegas rental car. However, it’s important to check the amount of your coverage before renting. After all, you will be driving in busy and unfamiliar areas, with relatively high instances of driving under the influence.
How About My Credit Card Company?
Some credit card companies offer additional protection for rentals paid for by their cards. It’s important to check with your credit card company to see what they cover in terms of damage protection. You may have additional coverage that could end up being valuable.
Frequent business and leisure travelers swear by the additional Las Vegas rental accident protection provided by the Chase Sapphire line of credit cards. American Express also provides strong car rental loss and damage protection, and also offers a premium option that offers enhanced global coverage.
While it’s great that credit card companies offer additional protection for their customers, it also complicates matters. Getting into a Las Vegas rental accident could mean having to deal with your car insurance company, the rental company, and your credit card company. The car accident attorneys at Lerner and Rowe can take care of complex situations on your behalf, so that you can focus on rest and recovery.
In a Las Vegas Rental Accident?
Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys knows exactly how a car accident can affect your life. It’s even worse when it isn’t your car because of how many people and companies are involved. At Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys, we will work hard to make sure that the process following a car accident is as stress-free as possible.
Our office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and we answer our phones at 702-877-1500 24/7. If you prefer, we have an online form you can use or you can utilize our LiveChat service as well. Don’t let a Las Vegas rental accident overwhelm you. Contact us today.
The information on this blog is for general information purposes only. Nothing herein should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.