Q: Would it be a good idea to get a lawyer involved?
I have an insurance claim through the person that hit my car while it was parked in a parking lot. The insurance company paid for a rental car but is only giving me the rental car for 4 days and then want it returned. My car is currently not drive able, and the local shops around my car are booked out until January for them to work on my car. The insurance company says that they will not provide me a car until then. So i would be without a car unless i were to pay for a rental car out of pocket. I was able to find a body shop/ mechanic shop that could get me in quick but it was 100+ miles from where it is parked right now. Which they will not pay for it to be towed more than 50 miles. The only way they would extend my rental car would be if my car was actively getting repaired, which is not currently possible with the shops in the area.
A:
A North Carolina attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for a while. In most jurisdictions, the answer would be no, unless that same lawyer happens to be handling your bodily injury case. Insurance carriers generally allow rentals until their property damage adjustor submits their final report, or the repairs are completed, or certain milestones in between, depending on the carrier's practices. Unless liability is a contentious issue, there usually isn't too much to argue about in terms of rental allowance. You could check with a local attorney to get another opinion on how they see things. Good luck
Tim Akpinar
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
