Has anyone on here ever had a car accident in Florida?
How did you feel it was dealt with?
Were there any legal problems as a result?
Did the rental car get replaced so you could continue your holiday?
Any other comments?
Although I realise this is something we might prefer not to think about forewarned is forearmed and it might be good to learn from someone else's unfortunate experience.
Yes unfortunately. Last year I was involved in an accident on the 192 and I have to hold my hands up and say it was my fault. The police MUST be called to all accidents, it is in the small print in the rental contract, and in American insurance documents. They took a couple of hours to turn up, by which time the driver of the other car, an American and I had become good friends. I found the trouper very profesional, he took down the details which were not in dispute, checked the paperwork, made a few checks came back and spoke to both of us to let us know what was going to happen. I recieved a citation for improper passing which cost me $112.50. and a very clear explination of how to pay. I informed the rental company, Dollar, and as there was no damage to my car it was noted and I had to write an accident report and hand in a copy of the accident report which the police gave me when I returned the car. The rental company contacted me when I was back in the UK to clarify some details and that was it. I have had no problems legal or otherwise since then and have hired a car from Dollar since so no problems there either. I paid the fine and have kept a record of this payment with my passport just in case any questions are ever asked. I don't have any complaints about the way things were dealt with, the only pain was having to wait so long for the police to turn up, but the 192 was very busy, I think he had missed us the first time he went along the road, and they also have many other things to deal with so I guess it is a question of priorities. The only other thing to mention is that the driver who is at fault will be fined and it is an expensive experience, which helps make sure you don't do it again.
We were involved a couple of years ago in an accident in Miami. We were waiting at a red light and one of those yellow school buses ran into the back of us! Luckily no-one was hurt and the police were very quickly on the scene. They took all the details and just gave us a card with a reference number on it.
We had to contact Dollar as the car was a mess and they simply arranged to replace it early the next morning. When we went to collect they just wanted a photocopy of the card given to us by the police and that was it.
No problems hiring from Dollar since and never received any further correspondence
We had an accident in June 2004, we were waiting at a red light in San Diego in our hired Ford Windstar. A woman in a BMW 5 series tail ended us at quite a high speed. The police, ambulance and fire service all turned up and my wife was hospitalised for a few hours while she had x-rays etc. The Fire service and ambulance people were great! The police didn't want to know, They wouldn't even let me use their mobile phone to call friends. The hire car was a mess but the hire company didn't care, I completed an accident form and they just gave us a Ford Taurus to replace it. We drove up to Sedona, Arizona the following day.. All in all it was just a new experience of American life! The medical bill ran to over $4000.00 so just make sure you have adequate insurance. I have to say that apart from the miserable police, the emergency services and the hospital staff were just brilliant. Didn't spoil our holiday at all!!
I was in a car accident on 192 about 5 years ago not far from the Flea Market. Me and my first husband were driving back to our villa up the 192 and a lady came out of a side road in a truck (a old local lady) and totally wrote off the passenger side of the car. She tried to drive off and in her panic and haste actually drove into four other cars and caused them damage too. This obviously caused her to stop as there was no where for her to go. We were in total shock and within about five minutes, out swarmed her family from nowhere and they were talking with her to collaberate a story between them. We tried to stop a couple of police cars only to be told it was not their jurisdiction. Someone called for help on their mobile phone. About ten minutes later, a guy from Dollar rental happened to pass by and he said he recognized our car as a rental (it was a red neon). Anyway the police came and we had to fill out an accident report. The old lady and her family still tried to claim it was our fault, even though the policeman said clearly from the damage you could see that she had hit us from the side and pushed us up onto the central pavement in the road.
We took the car back to Dollar and they exchanged it immediately without any problems and gave us another one. However we had to then correspond with Dollar after because the lady was trying to claim that the accident after we left the country, was still our fault...I guess she thought she'd get away with it.
I had to undergo four months of physiotherapy back in England for a slipped disc after that accident but did we get anything for the fact I'd had time out of work or anything? No. The lady ended up getting her car fixed and even though there was no comeback for us, it appeared at the end that we 'took the blame' and dollar paid her off.
Had an accident at Easter on the 192, a young girl in a chevy pick-up just came straight out of a side road and t-boned us. I phoned Dollar and they gave me the number for the sherrif and told me to wait untill he turned up. They did warn us the sherrif could take a couple of hours to arrive, he then asked if the vehicle was safe to drive and did i want a replacement. As the damage was not too bad we declined the replacement. the sherrif arrived about 2 hours later and took some details, told me off for not carrying any photo id and judged the young girl to be in the wrong. He then wrote out a report and said i was free to go, and thats the last i have heard of it. No problems taking the car back to Dollar at the end of our stay, just gave the guy the police report and signed his document and off i went. Easy [msnwink]
Dave
Very interesting thread. I'm pleased you all got away ok. It can be a real problem here if you have an accident. The rules I've learned are:
Never admit to anything. NEVER.
Always get a police report. ALWAYS.
Always make sure you have collision insurance. The basic rental insurance doesn't always cover for evrything. It's worth the extra $10 - $15 a day. I get it free if I use my platinum Visa card for the rental. You might check your Visa company. Many cards offer this.
If it's your fault and you get a ticket. PAY IT! It could effect your future plans to visit the USA.
Don't drink and drive here. You WILL go straight to jail, in handcuffs. You'll end up in a cell with the druggies, the gangbangers, and the molesters! Saying "I'm British" won't do anything! That will also effect your future vacation plans. You now have a police record.
Let's be careful out there. (10 points for the first person to tell me what show that came from.)
Jeff & Amy Stephens
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by flyrr100
Very interesting thread. I'm pleased you all got away ok. It can be a real problem here if you have an accident. The rules I've learned are:
Never admit to anything. NEVER.
Always get a police report. ALWAYS.
Always make sure you have collision insurance. The basic rental insurance doesn't always cover for evrything. It's worth the extra $10 - $15 a day. I get it free if I use my platinum Visa card for the rental. You might check your Visa company. Many cards offer this.
If it's your fault and you get a ticket. PAY IT! It could effect your future plans to visit the USA.
Don't drink and drive here. You WILL go straight to jail, in handcuffs. You'll end up in a cell with the druggies, the gangbangers, and the molesters! Saying "I'm British" won't do anything! That will also effect your future vacation plans. You now have a police record.
Let's be careful out there. (10 points for the first person to tell me what show that came from.)
[/quote]
Hill Street Blues?
Thanks - What can we do with them??????
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