Accident in a Rental Car in New Hampshire: What to Do, Step by Step

If you’re reading this at the side of the road, take a breath first. Most crashes in rental cars are low-speed bumps in parking lots, at rotaries or in stop-and-go traffic on I-93, and nobody is hurt. An accident in a rental car in New Hampshire feels more stressful than one in your own car because the car isn’t yours and the rules seem unfamiliar. They aren’t complicated, though, and the order you do things in matters more than anything else.

This guide walks through the steps in that order: safety, the information New Hampshire law requires you to swap, when a written crash report is due, what to photograph, when to call us, and how the insurance side works. It’s general information, not legal advice. If anyone is injured, call 911 before you read another word.

Step 1: Make the scene safe

Check yourself and your passengers, then the people in the other car. If anyone is hurt, or a car is disabled in a live lane, call 911.

If nobody is hurt and the cars can be driven, move them. New Hampshire law (RSA 264:25-a) says a driver involved in a crash on the traveled part of the road must move the vehicle out of the travel lanes if that can be done without risk of further damage or injury. A breakdown lane, a side street or a parking lot is fine. Turn on the hazard lights. On a highway, get everyone out on the side away from traffic and stand well back from the cars.

Step 2: Exchange the information NH law requires

Under RSA 264:25, a driver involved in a crash that causes injury or property damage must stop and give the other driver, any injured person and the owner of any damaged property:

• your name and address;
• your driver’s license number;
• insurance company and policy information, if you have it;
• the vehicle’s registration number; and
• the name and address of each person in your car.

In a rental, give the plate number and mention that the car is a rental from Vorenza Rental Cars. If you’re relying on your own auto policy or a credit card benefit, share that policy information. Collect the same details from the other driver, and take the names and phone numbers of any witnesses before they drive off.

Be polite and stick to facts. You don’t need to argue about fault at the roadside, and you shouldn’t sign anything the other driver hands you.

Step 3: Call the police, and know the 15-day rule

Call the local police on their non-emergency line, or 911 if the road is blocked or anyone is hurt. If an officer investigates, ask for their name and the report number. That report goes to the state for you.

If police don’t investigate, the paperwork falls to you. RSA 264:25 requires a written report to the Division of Motor Vehicles within 15 days if anyone was injured or killed, or if property damage is over $1,000. Drivers use the Operator’s Report form, DSMV 400, from the NH DMV accident reports page. A bumper cover, a headlight and a bit of paint can pass $1,000 quickly, so if you’re unsure, file.

Step 4: Photograph everything

Your phone is the best tool you have at the scene. Before the cars are moved, if it’s safe, and again afterwards, take:

• Wide shots showing both cars, the lanes, signs and signals.
• Close-ups of all the damage on both vehicles, including anything already scraped or dented.
• Both license plates, and the other driver’s license and insurance card, if they agree.
• The conditions: wet pavement, glare, a faded line, a hidden stop sign.
• A note of the time, the exact location and what happened, written while it’s fresh.

Those photos help your insurer, the police report and us. It’s the same habit that protects you at pickup, when we walk around the car with you before you drive away.

Step 5: Call us before you call a tow truck

Call (603) 661-2672 as soon as the scene is safe. The line is answered 24/7. Please call before you arrange towing, accept a tow from a truck that just turns up, or take the car to any repair shop. Don’t try to fix anything yourself, even a hanging piece of trim.

Tell us where you are, whether anyone is hurt, what the damage looks like and whether any warning lights are on. Our vehicles carry tracking devices that help us locate them for roadside assistance, which makes things easier if you’re on a stretch of highway you don’t know. We’ll tell you whether the car is safe to keep driving and what happens next.

Step 6: Sort out the insurance side

Who pays for damage to the rental, and to the other car, depends on the coverage that was in place when you took the keys. For most of our customers, that’s one of three things:

1. Your own auto policy, if it extends to rental cars. Call your insurer, report the claim and give them the police report number.
2. A credit card rental benefit, if you paid with that card and relied on it. Card issuers often have short deadlines for reporting a claim, so call them early.
3. A protection option you added when you booked with us. We offer options from basic to premium, and we’ll explain how yours applies when you call.

There’s one more New Hampshire detail. Most NH drivers aren’t required to carry auto insurance, but the state’s financial responsibility law applies after a reportable crash. Under RSA 264:3, a driver with no liability coverage in place can have their license suspended until they post security for the damages. That’s one more reason to settle coverage before you drive, not after.

What not to do after an accident in a rental car in New Hampshire

• Don’t leave the scene before you’ve stopped and exchanged information. Leaving can turn a fender bender into a criminal matter.
• Don’t admit fault or sign anything from the other driver. Stick to facts with the police and your insurer.
• Don’t arrange repairs or let a tow truck take the car anywhere without talking to us.
• Don’t keep driving with a warning light, a flapping panel or a leaking fluid.
• Don’t wait for the return to mention damage, however small. Calling the same day keeps everything simpler.

Before your next trip

Three minutes before you drive away makes any of this easier. Save (603) 661-2672 in your phone. Know which coverage you’re using and keep the details handy. Join the walk-around at pickup and take your own photos. If you’re new to driving here, our guide to New Hampshire driving laws for visitors covers the rules that catch people out, from the hands-free law to rotaries.

An accident in a rental car in New Hampshire is stressful, but it doesn’t have to turn into a mess. Get everyone safe, swap the details the law requires, get a police report or file your own within 15 days, take photos, and call us before anything else happens to the car. We’ll take it from there with you.