Free Hire Car After an Accident: What You Are Entitled To

Your car has been damaged in an accident that was not your fault. It is going to be off the road for weeks while the garage repairs it. How are you supposed to get to work? Pick up the kids? Do your weekly shop? The good news is that you are legally entitled to a replacement vehicle, and it should not cost you a penny.

If the accident was not your fault, the at-fault driver's insurer is responsible for putting you back in the position you were in before the accident. That includes providing you with a replacement vehicle while yours is off the road. This is not a favour or a perk. It is a legal right, established through decades of case law.

You are entitled to a vehicle of a similar type and size to the one you were driving. If you drive a family estate, you should get a family estate, not a small hatchback. If you drive a van for work, you should get a van.

When you contact Scottish Accident after a non-fault accident, one of the first things we do is arrange a hire car for you. In most cases, we can have a replacement vehicle with you within 24 hours, sometimes the same day. We deliver it to your door and collect it when your own car is ready.

There is no upfront cost. No deposit. No credit card hold. The cost of the hire is recovered from the at-fault driver's insurer as part of your overall claim. This is called credit hire, and it is a well-established part of the claims process.

Your own insurer may offer you a courtesy car. The catch is that courtesy cars are usually basic, small vehicles regardless of what you normally drive. They also come with restrictions, like mileage limits, and using your own insurer means you may have to pay your excess and risk your no-claims bonus.

With credit hire through Scottish Accident, you get a like-for-like vehicle, no excess, and your no-claims bonus is not affected.

You are entitled to the hire car for as long as it takes to repair your vehicle. If your car is written off, you are entitled to a hire car until you receive your settlement payment and have had a reasonable amount of time to source a replacement. We manage this process for you and make sure the hire period is properly documented.

If you have been in an accident that was not your fault and you need a replacement vehicle, get in touch with us now. We will have you back on the road as quickly as possible.

Start your claim online or give us a call and we will take care of everything.