From a minor bingle to a total write-off, car accidents are an unfortunate fact of life. They can also be extremely stressful, especially if your car needs repairs and is no longer drivable. This has huge ramifications on your life.
You might need to scramble to find a school drop-off alternative, or urgently figure out how you’ll get to work, not to mention the hassle of dealing with your insurance company to see if they’ll provide a hire car.
What you might not know is that you don’t have to go through all that stress… provided you’re the not at fault party in a car collision.
You’re entitled to a replacement vehicle if you’re not at fault – it’s the law
If you’re in the right when it comes to a car accident, the law states the at fault party is required to pay your reasonable costs associated with an accident, including replacement car hire.
While some insurance companies sometimes provide the not at fault party with a hire car, there’s usually a catch… well, actually two! The insurance company hire car period is usually limited to around 14 days, and it can take considerably longer to fix or replace your car. And two, they often won’t provide you with a like-for-like replacement vehicle.
To combat this, there are now a range of Australian-based companies (like us here at I’m In The Right) who place the focus firmly on the needs of the not at fault motorist. As an accident management specialist, our service includes:
- No hire car time limit while your car is being repaired or replaced
- A like-for-like replacement vehicle
- End-to-end accident management service (including towing & overseeing your car repairs)
- Access to legal advice &/or assistance with personal injury & compensation claims
And the best part? Using our service won’t cost you a cent (apart from petrol or tolls for your hire car of course!).
How do I know if I’m eligible for a replacement car with I’m In The Right (IITR)?
To find out if you’re eligible to use our services, you’ll need to uncover if you’re the not at fault party in your fender-bender. Although, we can do this for you. Most of the time, it’s quite clear to work out – you got rear-ended, or the other driver failed to give way. In these cases, they’re at fault, not you.
But there are occasions where it’s a little trickier; perhaps the accident involved speed, or there’s a dispute with other driver. In these situations, you may need the assistance of police, witnesses, a legal representative and/or our advice to help you determine fault.
As a baseline though, if you believe the other driver failed to take reasonable care when driving (which means they’re deemed ‘negligent’ in the eyes of the law), you’re more than likely the not at fault party, and eligible to use our services with costs covered by the at-fault party insurer (that’s right!).
But if you’re still not sure about your eligibility, try our 10 second three-question survey, or call us on 1300 004 487 to find out.
Now that we’ve worked out if you’re in the right or wrong, there is some key information you’ll need to collect at the accident scene to see if your applicable for a like-for-like replacement vehicle
What information do I need to provide to IITR to get a like-for-like replacement vehicle?
It’s really important you collect the at-fault driver’s details. Otherwise, it’s difficult for us to follow up with their insurance company to recover your car hire costs. Some hire companies won’t even hire out a car without this key information.
After your car collision, first ensure no one is hurt and in need of medical attention. Once that’s happened, the law requires you and the other driver to exchange the following information:
- Your name & address
- The name & address of the vehicle’s owner (if it’s not you)
- Your car’s registration number
- Any other information that identifies your vehicle (such as the year, make & model)
We also recommend you also collect some further details about the at-fault driver. These include:
- A photo of their driver’s licence (front & back)
- Their contact number (and the vehicle owner’s contact number if necessary)
- The name of their insurer
- Photos of the accident (include any pre-existing damage, as well as damage from the current bingle. Try to do this before the cars are moved as long as it’s safe to do so)
- Witnesses’ name, address & contact information
Follow these 4 easy steps to apply for a replacement car with IITR
Once you have all the required information, here’s what you need to do to start the process of getting your like-for-like replacement vehicle:
- Connect with us
Our accident management support line is available 24/7 , so please call or email us to discuss the details of your car accident and confirm your eligibility to use our end-to-end accident management service. We have consultants who speak 16 languages so you can communicate comfortably in your preferred dialect. - Replacement car delivery
Once your eligibility is confirmed, we’ll deliver your like-for-like replacement car at your preferred time and location. - Repair monitoring
Our specialist team will carefully oversee your car repairs. Once it’s ready, we’ll organise a swap of our replacement vehicle for your repaired car.
- Payment
No need to worry about the cost side of things. We’ll send our invoice directly to the at-fault driver’s insurer. - As accident management specialists, we can also offer you these additional services:
- 24/7 towing
- Help finding a reputable repairer
- Access to legal advice about disputes, settlements, personal injury or compensation claims
We hope you now have a clearer picture about your eligibility for a like-for-like replacement car if you’re involved in a not at fault accident. But if you have any further questions, our support team are available to take your call 24/7 and provide more clarity or get your claim underway.
