# Had A Minor Accident w/ Lyft Hertz Rental - Seeking Experience/Advice



## Travis Alex (Jan 14, 2018)

Looking for advice because I am freaking out about it and just want some clarity.

Some context:

Damage is just cosmetic on the right side wheel area. Car still runs and drives perfectly fine. Accident should be in the fault of the person who hit me (she says otherwise) because she cut across into my lane from the wrong lane. Lyft deactivated my account until they look into things, so I can't currently drive. I was currently in the process of picking someone up when I got hit.

Followed all protocal I need to follow so far. This is only my first week driving which is why I'm so upset about it.

My questions:

Can this result in me being permently deactivated? Will I be paying for all the damages?

Any advice or experience in the matter is much appreciated.


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## Cableguynoe (Feb 14, 2017)

A little too late but next time don't notify Lyft if you don't have pax in car.
Just your personal insurance.

Sign up for Uber.


Errrrrrr

Hadn't read the title. 

Hate it when there's vital information in title and not in the post


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## Travis Alex (Jan 14, 2018)

Cableguynoe said:


> A little too late but next time don't notify Lyft if you don't have pax in car.
> Just your personal insurance.
> 
> Sign up for Uber.
> ...


Does that mean they will drop me permanently?


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## JimKE (Oct 28, 2016)

Was a police report made?
If so, did anyone receive a ticket?
You've done all you can at this point. Cooperate with Lyft and their insurance company and hope it works out for the best.

Take a deep breath and take this one step at a time. It's a scary situation, but it's way too early to panic. If the other person was at fault, you probably won't have a problem. Accidents, like other things, happen. That's why we call them accidents...and other things.


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## Travis Alex (Jan 14, 2018)

JimKE said:


> Was a police report made?
> If so, did anyone receive a ticket?
> You've done all you can at this point. Cooperate with Lyft and their insurance company and hope it works out for the best.
> 
> Take a deep breath and take this one step at a time. It's a scary situation, but it's way too early to panic. If the other person was at fault, you probably won't have a problem. Accidents, like other things, happen. That's why we call them accidents...and other things.


Yes a police report was made, no one was injured and everyone agreed they were fine, both cars drove off with minor damage, no tickets were issues.


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

Cableguynoe said:


> A little too late but next time don't notify Lyft if you don't have pax in car.
> Just your personal insurance.
> 
> Sign up for Uber.
> ...


OP was in a Lyft Hertz rental. Your advice is quite sound in most cases, but not this. No other option but to report to Hertz, who will report to Lyft and submit for repairs...

Went through this with Uber and Enterprise. In my case, 3 times (all clearly the other drivers' respective faults).

In all cases I had to lay out the deductible. In 2 cases, James River, Uber's insurance company recouped my deductible, gave full payment to Enterprise, and Enterprise rembursed me the deductible. In the remaining one, I had to go after the other driver myself to be reimbursed.


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## Travis Alex (Jan 14, 2018)

SuzeCB said:


> OP was in a Lyft Hertz rental. Your advice is quite sound in most cases, but not this. No other option but to report to Hertz, who will report to Lyft and submit for repairs...
> 
> Went through this with Uber and Enterprise. In my case, 3 times (all clearly the other drivers' respective faults).
> 
> In all cases I had to lay out the deductible. In 2 cases, James River, Uber's insurance company recouped my deductible, gave full payment to Enterprise, and Enterprise rembursed me the deductible. In the remaining one, I had to go after the other driver myself to be reimbursed.


How bad were the accidents? Do you have to pay the full deductible even if it's minor damages?

So uber didn't drop you and you were still able to rent?

Thanks for your honesty. If this does happen, I'm completely broke. This was my last chance to try and make some real money and I don't have $2500. This is awful news if I have to pay $2500.

Everything was going so well too. I had almost $800 In 3 days.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

You only pay the deductible up to the damage done, so if less than $2500 is done you pay that lesser amount. In fact if the damage is <$deductible then it isn't really a deductible it's just you paying for the repairs. Basically you are responsible for the first $2500 of damage and anything beyond that is what they cover.

In the case of a contested at fault situation you pay your deductible (or repairs) while the insurance companies hash out who was at fault. If they come to the conclusion that you weren't at fault then you will be paid back any amount that you had to pay out of pocket.

The biggest problem you'll have is that if this goes to arbitration (where the two insurance companies argue who is at fault) is that it could take months for them to come to a decision.


So:

1. Pray the damage is light and hopefully within a range you can pay for.

2. Pray you get your money back down the road.

3. Pray you get reactivated soon and can get back to making money.



If the police were there and wrote an accident report they should have already cited who was at fault. This is what the insurance companies will go by and there shouldn't be anything up in the air.


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## Travis Alex (Jan 14, 2018)

Fauxknight said:


> You only pay the deductible up to the damage done, so if less than $2500 is done you pay that lesser amount. In fact if the damage is <$deductible then it isn't really a deductible it's just you paying for the repairs. Basically you are responsible for the first $2500 of damage and anything beyond that is what they cover.
> 
> In the case of a contested at fault situation you pay your deductible (or repairs) while the insurance companies hash out who was at fault. If they come to the conclusion that you weren't at fault then you will be paid back any amount that you had to pay out of pocket.
> 
> ...


In worst case scenario, what if they find both of us at fault? What happens then?


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## mrpjfresh (Aug 16, 2016)

Another thing to keep in mind is that after (if I recall correctly) 2 accidents (at fault or not) or tickets or whatever, you can get deactivated "indefinitely". So if you have anything in your immediate past plus this now, don't be surprised if your account gets put on hold suddenly someday. No way to tell when exactly unfortunately. This happened to a well-known member here - Fuber in their faces. And there is very little recourse in this situation.



Travis Alex said:


> This was my last chance to try and make some real money...


Definitely get out of that mindset brother. This is just a temporary and side gig at best with no rewards for loyalty, tenure, professionalism and the risks are very real as you unfortunately can see. Sorry you had to be in the minority that got caught up. Hopefully your situation gets resolved sooner rather than later. Keep focused on what comes next in life and just use these companies to bridge the gap to that next step. Good luck and keep grinding!


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Travis Alex said:


> In worst case scenario, what if they find both of us at fault? What happens then?


Then each of you pay for your own repairs/deductible.

If you were in your lane and her act of moving into your lane caused the accident then she is likely at fault, barring her having the right away for some reason, say like a yield sign directed at you.


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## Travis Alex (Jan 14, 2018)

Fauxknight said:


> Then each of you pay for your own repairs/deductible.
> 
> If you were in your lane and her act of moving into your lane caused the accident then she is likely at fault, barring her having the right away for some reason, say like a yield sign directed at you.


Ok last question. Since this was a rental, do you think I'll be able to rent again regardless of fault?


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

Travis Alex said:


> Ok last question. Since this was a rental, do you think I'll be able to rent again regardless of fault?


Not sure, but I don't think you'll be able to for very much longer even if Lyft and Hertz look past the accident.

Enterprise has already fully ended their relationship with Uber, and it's my understanding that Hertz is doing the same with Lyft, one area at a time.

Stash your cash and buy an eligible beater if you want to continue. It'll be cheaper anyway.


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## Travis Alex (Jan 14, 2018)

SuzeCB said:


> Not sure, but I don't think you'll be able to for very much longer even if Lyft and Hertz look past the accident.
> 
> Enterprise has already fully ended their relationship with Uber, and it's my understanding that Hertz is doing the same with Lyft, one area at a time.
> 
> Stash your cash and buy an eligible beater if you want to continue. It'll be cheaper anyway.


Can you link me to a news article on this? I'd like to know more.


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## Eesoso (Jan 16, 2017)

Cableguynoe said:


> A little too late but next time don't notify Lyft if you don't have pax in car.
> Just your personal insurance.
> 
> Sign up for Uber.
> ...


If it's a Lyft hertz rental then lyft would find out regardless.


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## negeorgia (Feb 1, 2015)

Travis Alex said:


> Ok last question. Since this was a rental, do you think I'll be able to rent again regardless of fault?


Based on other threads. No, one chance with the rental. Any damage and they stop letting you rent, irrelevant who was at fault.


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## Fauxknight (Aug 12, 2014)

Travis Alex said:


> Ok last question. Since this was a rental, do you think I'll be able to rent again regardless of fault?


As mentioned it sounds like no, but this is up to the rental agency and I have no idea what their policies are.


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## ShinyAndChrome (Aug 18, 2017)

Cableguynoe said:


> A little too late but next time don't notify Lyft if you don't have pax in car.
> Just your personal insurance.
> 
> Sign up for Uber.
> ...


Unless you get caught, then you're in massive doo doo.

The great news is that if the OP cannot get the other person to cover his damage he won't need to worry about insurance at all because with Lyft's $2500 deductible, it would have to be massive damage to bother.

Yet another reason not to drive for Lyft.

*What is "cosmetic damage".*

I can tell you that a few hours spent with touch up paint and some scratchx 2.0 can do wonders to a paint job. I scuffed the balls out of the front bumper on a car 18 months ago--would require a full repainting, except I patched it up with coats of touch up paint and spackling (yeah it was full ghetto) to the point it was barely noticeable. I also hit somebody last year and did a nice rash on the front of my car, also fixed with touch up such that you'd have to know it's there and be looking for it to see it.

Too late if you already told somebody about it, though 



Fauxknight said:


> If you were in your lane and her act of moving into your lane caused the accident then she is likely at fault, barring her having the right away for some reason, say like a yield sign directed at you.


She absolutely would be, but if she says that isn't what happened who can prove what?

*NEVER DRIVE WITHOUT A DASH CAM. EVER.*


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

Travis Alex said:


> Can you link me to a news article on this? I'd like to know more.


I don't have one for you. I know Enterprise ended its relationship with Uber in Sept. I'd heard Hertz was doing the same, but obviously not as quickly because you're renting still.

No matter how this turns out, get your own car as quickly as possible. It's flat-out the most cost effective way to do this gig.


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## jgiun1 (Oct 16, 2017)

I would screw those rentals and get yourself a five year old, low mile car for about $10,000. Put commercial insurance on it and only take the loan for 24-30 months tops.

I bought my Malibu specifically for rideshare...have 60,000 miles on it currently (bought with 30K miles) only 12 months left and bought it with a two year warranty and financed $10,120 out the door.....screw paying Hertz


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## BoxerBoy (Sep 13, 2019)

SuzeCB said:


> OP was in a Lyft Hertz rental. Your advice is quite sound in most cases, but not this. No other option but to report to Hertz, who will report to Lyft and submit for repairs...
> 
> Went through this with Uber and Enterprise. In my case, 3 times (all clearly the other drivers' respective faults).
> 
> In all cases I had to lay out the deductible. In 2 cases, James River, Uber's insurance company recouped my deductible, gave full payment to Enterprise, and Enterprise rembursed me the deductible. In the remaining one, I had to go after the other driver myself to be reimbursed.


So I got rear-ended, bump, but enough of a gouge that can't just do a buff out. 
Pushed me into the car in front of me that had even less damage
1.not my fault (no argument from the driver that hit me then her
2.no pax
3.hertz/uber car

Do I have to notify Uber, I'm thinking not. But Hertz might if we go the liable drivers ins co

Liable driver willing to entertain paying out of his pocket not via ins.

I scratched a car when parking on an Uber eats delivery pickup (my fault)... Avis car.. Did everything as per protocol. Avis says they can't rent me another vehicle.

Which is how ended up at Hertz. Deathly afraid that even though this last one wasn't my fault and both minor accidents.

So, I have two options (risks)

1. Liable driver pays for both of our cars out of his pocket. No Hertz No Ins (this is my preference)

2.BUT he may want to go through his insurance and then I'm wondering does Hertz get notified cuz it's their car? And if they do since the rental is part of the Hertz Uber program does Uber get automatically notified?

Aaarrrssffgggghhh :-(


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## SuzeCB (Oct 30, 2016)

BoxerBoy said:


> So I got rear-ended, bump, but enough of a gouge that can't just do a buff out.
> Pushed me into the car in front of me that had even less damage
> 1.not my fault (no argument from the driver that hit me then her
> 2.no pax
> ...


No reputable body shop or mechanic will work on a rental car unless they have a relationship with the company, and they WILL notify them.

Hertz will put it through to Uber's insurance first. If your state is like mine, if you were in 1st stage (online but no trip accepted and no pax), you have liability insurance only from Uber, and their insurance will bounce it back to Hertz for their insurance to handle it. If you were offline entirely, the same will happen.

If you don't have a friend that has a shade tree garage and does amazing body work, I don't see a way to do this and not get caught.

JMO. YMMV.


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## BoxerBoy (Sep 13, 2019)

I do so appreciate you taking the time to share your opinion/experience. Thank you! 

I was online, ride accepted and enroute. Not sure that will matter, since I was not at fault and if the driver that was, who has insurance, decides he wants to pay for repairs out of pocket (not via his insurance company).

I do have a special relationship with an amazing auto body company.

Bottom line, if the liable driver needs to go thru his ins company then all bets are off and I have no other option than to report to Hertz/Uber. 

Which probably means using a rental car is no longer an option and will need to acquire my own vehicle. 

I've been thinking about that anyway.


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