Rental Car and Loss of Use in Fort Worth, TX
Short answer: The at-fault driver's insurer owes you for the reasonable time you're without your car, usually a comparable rental. Since 2016, Texas also allows loss of use when the car is a total loss.
What loss of use covers
Loss of use pays for the time you couldn't use your car because of the crash. It's usually measured by the cost of a reasonable rental of a similar vehicle. If you didn't rent, you can still claim the fair rental value for the time you went without.
Your own rental coverage
Rental reimbursement on your own policy is optional and has daily and total caps, often something like $30 to $50 a day for 30 days. It's faster to start, and your insurer can then seek repayment from the at-fault driver's insurer.
Comparable means comparable
If you drove a crew-cab truck, a compact car isn't a comparable rental. Ask for the same class. If the insurer refuses, rent the comparable vehicle and save every receipt for the claim.
Getting around Fort Worth without a car
Fort Worth has Trinity Metro buses and the TEXRail line toward DFW Airport, but most of the city is hard to cross without a car. Bus fares and rideshare receipts count as loss-of-use evidence, so keep them.
Fort Worth contacts after a crash
Fort Worth police take crash reports inside the city. On I-35W, I-20 and Loop 820 outside the city, Texas DPS troopers or the Tarrant County Sheriff may respond instead. Once the officer files the CR-3, TxDOT usually posts it within about 10 business days (getting your report).
Hospital ERs: JPS Health Network (John Peter Smith Hospital), Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, Medical City Alliance, Texas Health Alliance.
Start with the Fort Worth first-steps checklist.
Common questions
How long will they pay for a rental?
For a reasonable time to repair or replace the car. Delays you didn't cause should be covered.
Can I get paid if I didn't rent a car?
Usually yes, based on the reasonable rental value for the time you went without.
Want a lawyer to look at your case for free?
If you were hurt in a crash that wasn't your fault, in Fort Worth or anywhere else in Texas, you can ask for a free consultation. A trusted local attorney will contact you promptly and evaluate your case for free. There's no cost to ask and no obligation.