If the accident was not your fault, you are legally entitled to a hire car while your vehicle is being repaired. And what’s even more interesting, the at-fault driver’s insurer covers the cost. So you stay on the road without spending a cent.

A not-at-fault car hire is the formal name for this arrangement. It gives you an accident replacement vehicle after a fault accident, and the whole claim is handled between your hire provider and the at-fault driver’s insurer.

But this option does not kick in automatically. Simply put, you need to know how to claim it, who qualifies, and what to do at the scene.

Read on to get a clear picture of how the whole process works.

Not-At-Fault Car Hire: What It Is and How It Works

A not-at-fault car hire is a no-fault rental arrangement. Unlike a standard insurance claim, you are not the one filing paperwork or waiting on approval from your own insurer. As we already mentioned, the hiring provider handles all of that directly.

The entire process starts with reporting the accident. You call a fault car hire provider, and from there, they do the heavy lifting. You do not fill out any forms or chase any insurers; the hire provider handles all of that and gets your replacement vehicle sorted (it’s like having someone else fight your battle for you).

It would also be helpful for you to have the other driver’s details ready. Those are what the hire provider uses to go after the at-fault driver’s insurer. And yes, we have seen that zero-details scramble at the side of the road (and it never ends well).

Are You Eligible for an Accident Replacement Vehicle?

You are eligible for an accident replacement vehicle as long as the other driver was at fault and has valid insurance. In easy words all comes down to fault and insurance cover:

Eligibility: Who Can Make a Claim

To make a valid claim, your vehicle needs to be registered, and you must not share any portion of fault for the accident. You also need the at-fault driver’s contact details and their insurance information. That’s because the hire provider cannot raise a claim without them (beware: false details kill your claim fast).

“What if they don’t have insurance?” Now that’s the right question.

If the at-fault driver turns out to be uninsured, your own insurer may still arrange a replacement vehicle depending on your level of cover. In such scenarios, call your insurer immediately.

Disputed Fault: What Happens to Your Claim

A disputed fault claim does not leave you stranded. Your own insurer can arrange a fault hire car while the dispute runs its course. In Australia, insurers are required to handle your claim promptly regardless of the other driver’s response.

Through our firsthand experience, disputed cases do get resolved, and drivers who contact their insurer straight away rarely end up without a car for long.

With liability confirmed, you will usually deal with their insurer rather than the driver directly. And if the at-fault party’s insurer is uncooperative, you can lodge a formal complaint with the Australian Financial Complaints Authority. Simply put, they review the dispute independently and push for a resolution without you needing to go to court

How to Claim Your Accident Replacement Car

To claim your accident replacement car, you need to follow these four steps: collecting details, reporting the crash, calling a hire provider, and getting approved. Same-day approval is possible, but it all hinges on what you collect at the scene.

Here is what happens at each stage.

1. Collect Details at the Scene: Before anyone drives away, get the at-fault driver’s licence number, phone number, and insurance company name. Our experiences tell us that a complete set of details at the scene cuts approval time down significantly.
2. Report the Accident: File a crash report as soon as you can. In Queensland, you can report a traffic crash directly through the state government website, and having a report number strengthens your claim considerably.
3. Call a Fault Hire Car Provider: At this stage, hand over the at-fault driver’s details to a fault hire car provider and let them take it from there. They raise the claim with the insurer, sort the vehicle, and keep you in the loop.
4. Collect Your Car: Approval typically comes through within hours when the fault is clear and all details are in order. So naturally, the hire provider contacts you directly with collection details, and you are back behind the wheel the same day.

We see this all the time: a driver calls in with everything except the at-fault driver’s insurance details. Long story short, the claim sits idle for days while we chase down the one thing that was left behind.

Who Pays for the Hire Car and For How Long?

As mentioned earlier, the at-fault driver’s insurer covers your hire car costs. In many cases, this also includes fuel, tolls, and delivery (something a lot of drivers are surprised to learn).

That said, hire cover has a limit. If the hire period stretches beyond what the insurer considers reasonable, they can dispute the costs (so, don’t overstay your welcome). Under Australian consumer law, only reasonable hire costs are recoverable from the at-fault party.

On that note, there is something called a courtesy car. You must be wondering, “Is it the same thing as a not-at-fault car hire?”

Let’s have a look.

Courtesy Cars vs Not-At-Fault Car Hire

With a courtesy car, the vehicle comes from your own repairer, and availability is never guaranteed. A not-at-fault car hire, on the other hand, is arranged directly through a hire provider, and a vehicle is confirmed from the start.

And that is only scratching the surface. The table below breaks down exactly where the two arrangements part ways.

A lot of drivers come out the other side saying the same thing. They wish someone had told them about not-at-fault car hire before they spent two weeks in a courtesy car too small for their weekly groceries.

Don’t Let a Car Accident Keep You Parked

A not-at-fault car hire is one of those things you only wish you had known about sooner. If the accident was not your fault, you are entitled to a replacement car, and the at-fault driver’s insurer picks up the tab.

The hardest part is usually not the claim, but not knowing where to start. Once you have the at-fault driver’s details and a hire provider on the phone, the rest takes care of itself.

GLAPacked specialises in not-at-fault car hire and takes the entire process off your hands. Our experts raise the claim, deal with the at-fault driver’s insurer, and get your replacement car sorted the same day.

Don’t wait any longer. Reach out today.