Individuals involved in rental car accidents should be aware that there are ways to seek legal action against the responsible parties. You may have been hit by a person driving a rental car or you may have been operating a rental vehicle at the time of a crash. No matter what, the circumstances may point towards the rental agency being partially responsible for the accident. A company like Alamo has a duty to protect its customers and other drivers on the road. Negligent actions that violate this duty can result in a lawsuit and compensation paid out to the injured parties. Our law group, Normandie Law Firm, is here to help anyone who was involved in a car accident with an Alamo rental car. We will tell you how to file a lawsuit for an accident against Alamo rental car and how to sue Alamo for an accident.
Alamo Information
Alamo is a rental car company that provides vehicles for its customers. Customers can range from short-term travelers who need a car for a few days to get around the area because of inefficient public transportation to those who have had their main modes of transportation compromised and must drive. Those who drive rental cars know that there is a duty of care when it comes to driving, but they may not exercise the same cautions because they do not actually own the vehicles.
Alamo provides its customers with various types of optional insurance; notably, a collision waiver, which states that if the customer is involved in an accident, Alamo will cover damages done to the vehicle. It will not cover any physical harm, however; liability is purely the responsibility of the driver, as per the contract.
Accidents with Alamo rental cars usually happen because of distracted drivers. Those in rental vehicles more often than not are visitors from other areas and do not know the roads too well. They are more likely to turn down wrong streets or not properly merge onto freeways; a confused driver who is afraid of getting lost can be dangerous for everyone in the immediate area as an accident could cause a chain reaction. They sometimes use their phones to excess and take their eyes off the road.
Despite these occurrences by drivers, clients will still ask us, “Can I sue Alamo for an accident?” The answer is yes, you can sue Alamo if a driver hits you, but only in specific circumstances. Our attorneys can help you file your Alamo accident claim.
Who to Sue
In the event of an accident with someone driving an Alamo rental vehicle, you would usually only be able to take action against the driver. This is because Alamo is merely a provider; the company does not have chauffeurs or any special services, and its cars are used for a few days by different people before being returned. They only have to worry about upkeep and proper rental procedures. The actions that drivers take cannot be linked back to Alamo. A lawsuit would only be able to be filed against the person who caused the crash.
However, there are ways for you to receive compensation if you were involved in a car crash with Alamo rental car. For one, Alamo must properly maintain its vehicles and ensure that they are not defective or dangerous. If there are any problems with cars, like engine failure, electrical shortages, brake trouble, fluid leaks, and more, the company can be held responsible for injuries resulting from a crash. Mechanics and technicians are to examine each car when it returns from a trek, but sometimes Alamo will simply rent the car out again without any checkups. They have even gone so far as to not return recalled vehicles and allow people to drive them.
Additionally, Alamo must abide by the laws when renting vehicles to customers. Renters must be over the age of 21, have valid auto insurance, and have a valid driver’s license. The company has been known to rent vehicles to people who may not fit some of these criteria; therefore, Alamo can be held accountable for the consequences of an accident. The individual should not have been behind the wheel of an Alamo vehicle, and fault can be partially attributed to the business.
So can you sue Alamo? Yes, we can sue Alamo, but only if the company did not exercise due diligence in its rental practices.
Steps to Take for Filing a Lawsuit
After an Alamo car rental accident, you should immediately seek medical help if you were injured. Paramedics can tend to you; if your injuries are severe, you may need to be transported to the hospital, but if you are only minorly wounded, you can be treated at the scene of the accident. No matter what, you should see some kind of healthcare professional to ensure that you are not injured.
Next, you should take photographs of your injuries, the damages done to your car and the other vehicle, the scene of the accident, and more. You will need evidence of all of the damages, and videos can come in handy as well.
There will likely be eyewitnesses and passengers who can give you testimonials and statements as to what happened, which can be used to back up your claim. A police report can also bolster your case.
You will also need to alert Alamo to the accident so they can take the car and provide a statement. If the company had any fault, you can take legal action against them.
Some people ask, “What kind of lawyer do I need to sue Alamo for an injury?” Essentially, you will need an experienced car rental accident attorney to help assemble your evidence, determine who was at fault, and submit your claim.
Proving Negligent Action
In order for you to file a successful lawsuit, you need to b able to show that the responsible party was negligent in his duties. There are four points of negligence that must be proven; they are:
- You were owed a duty of care: All drivers must take care not to harm anyone else on the road.
- The duty of care was breached: A driver could breach this duty of care by breaking the law, whether that’s speeding, tailgating, ignoring right of way, and more.
- The breach caused an accident: By breaking the law, some kind of accident must have occurred, whether it’s a rear-end crash or head-on collision.
- The accident led to physical harm: You must have suffered some kind of bodily injury in order to file a personal injury lawsuit.
If you do not suffer any physical harm, you cannot file a personal injury lawsuit. You will only be able to submit a claim for property damage to your vehicle. Fortunately, if this is the case, you probably will not need an attorney as there are no injuries that can be disputed by the insurance agency.
To speak with an attorney to sue Alamo for an accident that caused injury, contact our law firm today.
Earning Compensation
Alamo injury claims can yield various types of compensation for your damages. You may be able to have your medical expenses covered, damaged property repaired or replaced, lost wages reimbursed, and pain and suffering damages taken care of. You shouldn’t be held accountable for damages that were caused by another party.
If you are curious as to how much you can earn for your lawsuit, you should know that there is no calculator that will determine your settlement offer. Each case is handled individually, and yours will undoubtedly have specific circumstances that will separate it from another case, even if the two are similar. However, you can regard other Alamo car crash claims to see what can possibly be earned. We have provided some samples below.
- $2,500,000 Settlement: A man was driving on the freeway when a multi-vehicle crash left him paralyzed from the neck down to his legs. A rental car had stalled on the road; there was no way for the two oncoming vehicles to avoid the car as it was nighttime and the broken down car had no lights on. The crash occurred between four vehicles and caused numerous injuries.
- $4,700,000 Verdict: A woman was stopped in traffic when an individual driving a rental car slammed into her from the back. She immediately suffered various spinal cord injuries and various damages down the side of her body and her limbs. She could not work after some time and underwent numerous surgeries. The rental agency inevitably admitted liability for the incident.
Normandie: Here for You
Our team of expert lawyers at Normandie Law Firm has been handling Alamo accident lawsuits for years. We are here for our clients, and if you need assistance throughout your case, we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your health and wellbeing are of utmost importance to us, and while we handle the legal duties of your case, you should focus on what’s crucial: recovery. Our aggressive lawyers will hunt for your deserved compensation and will endlessly negotiate with the insurance agency until we receive a fair offer. If we are not satisfied, we will take your case to court to present your claim in front of a judge and jury.
Call us today to set up a free legal consultation with one of our accomplished lawyers. You can ask questions about the law and we will tell you what we believe we can bring you. You should not have a limited amount of knowledge when it comes to legal action.
If you sign up for our services, we will give you our zero fee guarantee that promises that you will never spend any out of pocket expenses for our help. We will only get paid our fees and reimbursed for the necessary expenses if we win your case, and the money will be withdrawn from the settlement we bring you. Alamo will thus pay your legal bills. If we lose, you won’t owe us anything; your bank account will never be touched, win or lose.
To speak with an attorney to figure out how to file a lawsuit for an injury against Alamo rental car, call Normandie Law Firm at once.
