Expert: Richard Hixenbaugh - 2/21/2009

Question
my daughter while away @ college rolled her 2001 Jeep. They did not total it. It took almost 3 mos to get the fiberglass top from Chrysler. She had to rent a car in which the auto insurance only paid 32 days. We had to pay the rest. She finally gets the vehicle back and when she drove it off the lot, the transmission is now a problem, due to the accident. My question is, can she go back to the insurance company for more money to fix the transmission and also are they required to once again pay for a car rental?

Answer
Hi JoAnn,

If the transmission is related to the accident, then yes, the insurance company will pay for it as part of the same claim. You need to notify them as soon as possible and get the vehicle back to the shop to diagnose the problem.

If the claim is going through your own insurance company they will not pay for a rental car. Generally, there is only 30 days of rental coverage per accident. If someobe else was at fault for the accident then their insurance company will be responsible for a rental car during the transmission repair.

I hope this helps
Richard Hixenbaugh