It’s not uncommon after an accident puts your car out of commission to expect to be able to rent a substitute vehicle on the insurer’s dime (especially when you don’t feel you were at fault in the accident)

But that’s not always the case.  And the reason is surprisingly simple.

If you didn’t buy the specific coverage part that triggers rental coverage, known as Substitute Transportation, then you won’t be able to have your insurer pay your cost to rent a replacement.

If that’s news to you, think of it like the Collision coverage that covers the cost to repair your vehicle after the accident.  If you didn’t buy that coverage, your insurer is not going to pay those repair costs either.

Of course, if you didn’t cause the accident, you do have recourse.  But it places you knee-deep into the American legal system.  Anyone who feels someone else caused them harm — damaged their vehicle and made it unusable, for instance — has the right to seek recompense via the court system, in many cases via small claims court.

However, that takes time and often results in endless frustration with the system.  You could always approach the insurer for the other driver — if he or she is insured — to see if they’ll streamline the process and approve payment for you.  But be aware that it’ll have to be very clear that their driver caused the accident, and even then, many insurers just won’t pre-approve such a claim.

Paul & Dixon, as a courtesy for our clients, will send a copy of your claim report to the other insurer if it’s known, but that’s all we can do for you.  We have no standing with the other insurer to plead your case for you.  You’ll have to do that.

So, what can you do to avoid that hassle?

Buy the coverage!  Like any insurance choice, if you don’t have an easily available substitute vehicle in the event your car is laid up and the out-of-pocket cost to rent one is a financial burden, buy the insurance.

For $4 to $8 a month, you not only will have the convenience of us processing your claim, but you’ll also be assured that regardless of the specifics of the accident and who caused it, but you can also rent a vehicle and have it paid for up to the daily amount of coverage you purchase.

It really is that simple.  So, next time you review your policy, consider Substitute Transportation coverage.  And the next time you have an accident, you can rest assured that your wallet won’t suffer an unexpected hit.  Neither will your blood pressure.