If someone else caused the accident, the answer is generally yes.

However, this can be tricky. Even though the at-fault driver’s insurance company should pay for your rental car, getting them to do it in a reasonable amount of time is not easy. For instance, the at-fault driver’s insurance company may refuse to pay for your rental car until they can “determine” who is at fault for the accident. If the insurance company drags its feet (and they often do), then you could miss days or even weeks of work because you don’t have your car for transportation. Or the at-fault driver might not have carried auto insurance, even though the law requires it.

Another alternative is to use your own auto insurance company. Not everyone has rental car coverage, but some policies do provide it. If your policy does cover a rental car, your insurance company may be able to get you into a rental car faster than the other driver’s insurance company would do it. Your insurer can later demand that the at-fault driver’s insurer pay it back for that cost.

Our Georgia Car Damage Manual provides a free, step-by-step guide to getting a rental car and handling your property damage claim. For more information on a single page, see How Do I Get a Rental Car after My Car Accident?.