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Bitesize blog - what does 'credit hire' mean for me?

ACSL Solicitors can act for you on a 'no win no fee' basis. Find out more here. If you would like to discuss a 'no win no fee' case with us please either call us on 0151 363 3977 or email us at craig.welsby@acsl.org.uk and we'll have a chat with you to see how we can help.

What does “credit hire” mean?

So you have established that you were not to blame for the accident, and your car is off the road and unsafe to drive - what now?

Can I get a hire vehicle?

Depending on the terms of your car insurance policy you might be entitled to a hire vehicle from your own insurer. They will claim back the cost of the hire car from the other driver’s insurer.

But what if my insurance doesn’t allow me a hire car?

You can receive a hire vehicle from a ‘credit hire’ provider. These companies look at your accident circumstances and will offer you a hire vehicle if they agree that you weren’t at fault. Later on in the process they will make the other driver’s insurer pay for your hire.

How does it work?

You will sign a credit agreement with them, setting out the terms of the hire and how much it is costing per day. It is similar to a loan - they are loaning you a car for a while, instead of loaning you money.

Be careful though!

When you take out a car through a credit hire agreement, you are the person responsible for paying it. If the credit hire company can't recover the money from the other insurer, or if you don’t win your case 100%, then they can make you pay for the credit hire.

When should I use credit hire?

You should take advice from your solicitor. A good solicitor will tell you when you can use credit hire, and when you shouldn’t.

Next…

Now that we have explained the concept of credit hire, we will explain what an engineer report is, and why it is important that you be careful when accepting one.