Old Bridge, NJ asked in Car Accidents, Insurance Bad Faith and Contracts for New Jersey

Q: My car was hit by a stolen vehicle. Even though she left key in car, her insurance denied claim.

I own a rental car company. I rented a vehicle to a customer, she had no insurance and took my collision damage waiver, the vehicle was hit by a BMW loaner vehicle that was stolen from customer after she left the key in the car at her house. Her insurance company is covering 50% of the damage to the loaner vehicle, but denying my claim for the damage to my rental vehicle. Can I sue the person that had the loaner vehicle in her possession for negligence for leaving the key in the vehicle causing it to get stolen?

1 Lawyer Answer

A: It will depend on the language of the release you signed when receiving partial payment. If not prevented by the terms of the release, you may sue the customer.

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.