Who pays for my rental car after a crash, and am I covered driving a rental?

If the other driver caused it. TDI says the other driver's insurance company will pay for you to rent a car. You can keep the rental for the time the company believes is reasonable to repair your car. The company works that time out from the estimated hours of labor. TDI's advice is to tell the adjuster about any delay. The company might extend the rental if the shop had to order parts, or found more damage [1].

If your car is a total loss, TDI says the company might stop paying for the rental a few days after it tells you [1]. These are Texas pages, and other states may read differently.

When your own policy pays for a rental, TDI lists four cases. You have uninsured or underinsured motorist cover, and the driver who caused the crash had no insurance or not enough. You have that cover and the crash was a hit-and-run. You have rental reimbursement cover and were in a crash. Or you have comprehensive cover and your car was stolen. TDI adds three limits. Your company pays only for the time it believes is reasonable to repair or replace the car. It pays a set amount each day. And it pays only up to your policy's rental limits [1].

Driving a rental car. TDI says you might not need the rental agency's liability policy for personal use. Your own auto policy might cover you under its liability or comprehensive cover. But there could be exclusions that cut it down. Ask your agent whether your policy covers you if you drive the rental for work. TDI also says the agency's damage waiver is not insurance [2].

TDI's pages set no state deadline here. The rule is a reasonable time. So the company bases that time on the estimated number of hours of labor [1]. Other states may read differently.