Accident with a rental car: what should you do?

At Malco we know that no one rents a car expecting to have an accident. Quite the opposite: when our customers walk into our offices, they do so excited, because behind the rental there is usually a holiday, a getaway or a work project that matters.

But things happen and having an accident with a rental car is not impossible. A moment of distraction, a sudden brake from the driver in front, a scratch in a car park. At that moment, nerves kick in and your head fills with doubts: what do I do now? How much will this cost me? Is it covered by insurance?

Take a breath. It is not the end of the world. If you have trusted us with your car rental, the last thing we want is for you to feel overwhelmed. Here is a guide on what to do if you have an accident with a rental car, so you know exactly which steps to take.

First: you and your passengers

Forget the car for a moment. What matters most is you, your passengers and the people in the other vehicles involved.

• Make the area safe: put on the vest (it is in the glove box or under the seat), set out the warning triangles or the V-16 emergency light and leave the carriageway.
• Check for injuries: see if anyone needs medical help. If anyone is hurt, even slightly, call 112 immediately. Do not take chances.
• If it was just a paint-and-panel scare, fine. We can move on to the paperwork.

The European Accident Statement

If another car is involved and there are no injuries, the best thing to do is fill in the traditional accident statement. You will find it with the car documents.

• Write clearly: use capital letters if you can.
• Key data: do not forget ID numbers, plates and insurance policy numbers.
• The boxes: tick the boxes that describe the accident properly. If you do not agree with the other driver, do not sign anything. If there is tension, call the Police or the Guardia Civil to file an official report.
• A Malco tip: take photos of everything — the damage to your car, the damage to the other one, the position of the vehicles and the area. Today, a photo is worth a thousand words when dealing with the insurance.

Call us: we are here to help

Once the situation is under control, you have to let us know. At Malco we like to find out what happened as soon as possible so we can act.

Call the number we gave you when you picked up the keys. Tell us what happened and the state of the car. If the vehicle cannot be driven, we will arrange the tow truck so you are not stuck on the side of the road.

Depending on the type of booking and availability, we will do everything we can so your trip does not have to stop.

The insurance question

This is where everyone tenses up, and we are going to clear it up.

When you rent a car with us, you are always fully covered by insurance. The difference is the excess.

• If you have an excess: if the accident is your fault (or there is no identified third party, for example a hit in a car park), you will have to pay the cost of the repair up to that excess limit.
• If you took out the premium insurance (no excess): you can be much more relaxed. In most cases, the damage will be covered and you will not have to pay anything extra, as long as you have not committed a serious offence (driving under the influence of alcohol or breaking the rules recklessly).

A heads-up: regardless of the insurance, you always have to submit the accident statement. Without a statement, the insurance has nothing to act on, and that really can be a problem.

What happens after the crash?

Once you hand the car back to us or it is collected by the tow truck, our assessors will review the damage.

If the other driver was at fault and the statement is properly filled in and signed by both parties, you do not have to worry. We deal with their insurance company to make them cover the cost. Your wallet stays as it was.

If the crash was your responsibility, we will let you know what the repair costs. If the cost is below your excess, you only pay the repair. If it is more, you pay up to the excess and we cover the rest.

Common mistakes to avoid after an accident with a rental car

From our experience at Malco, these are the mistakes that come up most often and complicate things the most:

• Not calling the police when needed: if the other driver flees or refuses to give you their details, call the authorities. Without the other party's details, the insurance treats it as "own damage".
• Repairing the car on your own: do not even think about it. Taking the rental car to a local workshop because you know the mechanic will only make things worse. Company rules are clear: only we handle repairs at authorised workshops.
• Not reading the contract: I know it is boring, but knowing what your insurance covers before you leave the car park saves you a lot of surprises.

What if the accident is abroad?

If you have taken one of our cars outside Spain (always with prior notice), the procedure is the same. The only thing that changes is the language of the statement, but the format is standard across Europe.

The boxes mean the same thing here as in France or Germany, so stay calm and follow the same steps.

Having a crash is a pain, we know. It ruins the day and leaves a bad feeling. But at Malco, we are used to handling these situations. Our priority is that, after the scare, you feel you have someone behind you who sorts out the mess.

If you follow these steps (safety, statement, photos and calling us), the process will be much faster and less painful than you imagine.