Assume you are out of town for vacation and your car gets damaged. Not enough to total, but enough that it is not able to be driven home. What would you do ?
Rent a car and come back when yours is repaired ?
Stay in a hotel for a month while your car is getting repaired ?
I am not in this situation, but looking for ideas

I'd call my insurance company and ask the adjuster what my options are under the policy.

Ideally, my damaged vehicle would be taken via flatbed back to a garage of my choice at home while I arranged other transportation (i.e., one-way rental). If the policy didn't cover those expenses, I'd have to make a decision based on what coverage was available and then a decision about what insurer to switch to when I got back.

-Rob

Typically, it’s cheaper for the insurance company to have the car repaired closer to the accident and have you continue on with a rental. That’s how my neighbors were forced to deal with hitting a deer on the interstate 6 hours away from home. My guess would be the options will be limited to the specific policy in force at the time of the accident.

As much as I would like my body shop to handle the repairs given the choice, I’d probably leave my car behind. In finding a body shop up to my standards, I would see where the Porsche/Mercedes/BMW dealers send their clients for body work. Things like owning an aluminum skinned vehicle, possibly mechanical repairs, or possible frame damage would weigh heavily on any decisions.

It depends on the laws in the state in which the accident happened, some states are no-fault, some Tort, regarding medical portion of the claims, also depends on who's at-fault, who's insurance is paying the claim, can also depend on the policy, it's provisions and any optional coverage you may have elected.

Some policies have rental car coverage built into the provisions, others, no. So if you are at fault it's your policy provisions that rule, if it's the other person, their policy provisions, if a no fault state, your insurance takes care of you, theirs takes care of them.


First thing is to get the claim started, have an adjuster look at the car to see if it's repairable, then discuss towing the vehicle to your local area where they will designate a body shop for the repairs.

You can choose to do whatever you want, but the carrier and the contract provisions determine the rules.

If they say repair it in St Louis and you live in KCMO, then if you want it done in KCMO you may have to pay to transport it there if they don't agree to do so, or only cover first 50 miles or so.

Same for shop used, type of parts etc, policy provisions rule, so if you don't have a rider that allows OEM parts, your contract may specify aftermarket, to get OEM you get to pay the difference, again provisions and statues.

You'll need to see who's at fault, who's insurance is paying, and then, what the provisions allow.

PD claims = zero legal assistance without expense, Injury claims, every Civil attorney within 100 miles will run to your door...

drive it home if it's safe to do so

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This actually happened to me.

I work in SC, and went up to PA to visit my daughter right before Christmas a few years back. We went downtown to see the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree, then back to her house. I got up the next morning, packed up, went outside to head back to SC, and - no car!!!

Well, it seems someone hit the car, and the city had it towed. I ended up renting a car (insurance paid), and it was repaired in PA. I picked it up and returned the car when it was ready. Got another visit with daughter to boot.

Thanks.
I keep getting optimistic we will travel, but something is always coming up. Usually it is medical

Fixing the car there and renting a car is probably the best choice, depending on whose fault it was (your or their insurance paying) and, on your part, the type (paid outright or reimbursed) and amount of rental car coverage. My own is covered up to $30 a day, but this is outdated, since I hear rentals cost more now.

It wasn't wrecked but my new Dodge Durango with 3,500 miles shit the engine 300 miles from home. Dodge agreed to rent a car for me and 30 days later I drove back to get my Dodge. Last Dodge.

If you have a really good shop close to home and want to use it, I might pay a transporter to take the car there. Warrantee repairs would be much easier that way.