Claims & Accident FAQ | Avis Rent a Car

First, contact the police (911). Always complete an Avis Accident/Incident Report when the car has been involved in an accident or damaged. Contact Avis Roadside Assist at 800-354-2847. Then contact your personal auto insurance company and establish a claim for damage. If you are renting with a major credit card, you may want to contact their customer service department to determine if coverage is afforded through their collision program. You do not need to wait to receive our claim documents to report your claim to your personal insurance company and/or Credit Card Company.

The renter is responsible for any and all loss of or damage to the car resulting from any cause including but not limited to collision, rollover, theft, tire damage and vandalism, medical condition, flood, fire, hail or other acts of Nature. If you have accepted the Avis LDW coverage and there is no breach of contract violation, you will not be responsible for the damages.

Additionally, if we have the other party's contact information, we will pursue them and/or their insurance company for our damages if determined they were at fault. However, our pursuit of the other party does not absolve you from your contractual obligation with Avis.

Other charges that could be incurred by the renter:

  • Loss of Use - as the renter, you are contractually liable for the loss of the specific vehicle rented as detailed in the rental contract. When our car is unavailable to be rented, Avis is entitled to compensation for such loss.
  • Administrative Fee - Avis is self-insured and the expense of processing claims is passed on only to the responsible parties involved. Avis has a legal entitlement to return vehicles to pre-accident condition which includes the indirect damage of expenses related to administering a claim.

For our Corporate customers, in accordance with the terms of your company's corporate contract with Avis, you must fill out an accident report in its entirety and notify your employer that the rental vehicle was damaged. Ask your employer if you need to put in a claim with your personal insurance, corporate credit card insurance or if there is coverage offered through your employers insurance. If applicable, Avis will contact your employer to verify that you are eligible for the corporate damage waiver coverage. If Avis does not receive a response from your employer you will be billed and held responsible for the vehicle damage.

When a vehicle is involved in an accident you can typically expect to hear from Avis in a 30-60 day time-frame from the date of the incident. The time-frame heavily depends on the type and amount of damage the vehicle endured as a result of the incident. In order for Avis to provide you with the best service possible we must first have the damaged vehicle repaired, or complete the Salvage transaction prior to providing you with accurate costs associated to our vehicle damage.