Being in a hire car does not change who answers for your injuries: the claim is made against the driver who caused the crash. This page explains how insurance works when a rented, leased or courtesy car is involved.
A hire car accident claim is a personal injury claim after a crash involving a rented, leased or courtesy car.
You may have been driving the hire car, travelling in it or hit by someone else driving one. Fault is decided the same way as in any road traffic claim; what changes is which insurance policy responds.
Every hire car must carry at least third-party insurance, like every vehicle in Ireland. If another driver caused the crash, your injury claim goes to that driver's insurer, not the hire company.
If the person driving the hire car caused it, the passengers claim against the hire car's policy.
Many rental agreements let the hire company charge an excess or keep the deposit after damage, whoever was at fault. That is a contract issue about the car, separate from a claim for your injuries.
Keep the rental agreement and the hire company's damage report, since they show who was driving and what cover was in place.
If a defect such as worn tyres or failing brakes played a part, the hire company's maintenance and inspection records become part of the evidence. Photograph the tyres and any warning lights before the car is taken away.
Repairs to the hire car itself are a matter for the hire company and the insurers. Keep receipts for every cost you claim, including any extra transport while you could not drive.
Contact us through our enquiry form, phone, or email. We’ll review your situation, answer your questions, and explain what to expect next. There’s no upfront fee to begin your claim.
Your case will be carefully reviewed by our legal team.
We assess the strength of your claim, advise on the documentation needed, and guide you through key steps such as attending an independent medical examination and preparing the information required for the Injuries Resolution Board (IRB).
Once you decide to move forward, we take care of everything. This includes gathering evidence, contacting the other party or their insurer, submitting your claim to the IRB, managing settlement discussions, and handling any court proceedings if needed.
Paul Kearney founded the practice and leads its personal injury work in Ireland. He is regulated by the Law Society of Ireland. Read Paul's profile.
We prepare your application to the Injuries Resolution Board, including the medical evidence, and advise you on any assessment before you decide whether to accept it.
You can meet us at any of our four offices, or deal with us by phone, email or video, wherever you live in Ireland.
There are no upfront fees. Before you go ahead, we set out in writing how legal costs work, as section 150 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 requires. No Win No Fee explained.
The insurer of the driver who caused the crash deals with your injury claim. The hire company is not the party you claim against unless the car itself was at fault.
Yes. Third-party insurance covers injuries to the at-fault driver's passengers, so their claims go to the hire car's insurer. See passenger injury claims.
Not against the hire car's third-party cover, which does not pay for the at-fault driver's own injuries, as Citizens Information explains. Check whether the rental agreement included personal accident cover.
We deal with the injury claim. The excess is a separate contract matter between you and the hire company, though the records from that dispute can help show who was at fault.
Yes. A claim for a crash in Ireland goes through the Injuries Resolution Board in the usual way. Before you go home, keep copies of your hospital records, the Garda details and the rental agreement.
The claim then goes to the MIBI. See claims against uninsured drivers and hit and run claims.
Two years from the date of the crash, or from the date you knew about the injury if later, under the Statute of Limitations (Amendment) Act 1991. You must also write to the driver at fault within one month.
If anyone was injured and no Garda attended, report it at a Garda station as soon as possible under section 106 of the Road Traffic Act 1961. The hire company will usually ask for the Garda details too.
No. There are no upfront fees. Before you go ahead, we give you clear written terms explaining how legal costs work, as section 150 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 requires. Read No Win No Fee explained.
Regulated by the Law Society of Ireland
Kearney Law handles only personal injury and clinical negligence claims.
We act for clients across Ireland, including Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Letterkenny. See all the areas we cover.
Contact us to talk to a solicitor about your claim, or request a case review.
Email: [email protected]
Opening Hours:
Monday to Thursday 8am – 8pm
Friday 9am – 5pm
