At-fault driver's insurance won't give my dad a rental — is this normal??

Ugh, this is almost exactly what happened to me two years ago. The at-fault driver's insurance dragged their feet on the rental while "investigating" even though their driver had already admitted fault to the police. What finally worked for me was calling in once a day and asking for the name and direct line of the claims supervisor — not the regular rep. Once I escalated it, a rental was approved within 48 hours. They were just hoping I'd go away.

"Still investigating" when their driver got the ticket is classic delay tactics. They know every day he goes without a rental is pressure on him to settle fast and cheap. Don't let them use his inconvenience as leverage. Document every single call — date, time, who you spoke to, what they said. That paper trail matters later.

Former adjuster here. Honestly, the "we're still investigating" line is used way too loosely. A police citation isn't the end of an investigation, but it's significant, and most carriers will provisionally approve a rental in clear liability situations rather than risk a bad faith complaint. Your dad can literally use those words — "bad faith" and "your state's insurance commissioner" — in the same sentence and watch how quickly things move. Not saying threaten them, just be informed and let them know you are.

A couple of practical things worth knowing: if his policy has rental reimbursement coverage, his own insurer should set him up with a car now and then subrogate (basically go after the at-fault driver's insurance to get reimbursed). He shouldn't have to front money for that. Also, every state has a department of insurance with a complaint process — filing or even mentioning a potential complaint sometimes unsticks things surprisingly fast. Not legal advice, just stuff I've seen work in practice.

Is your dad doing okay physically? Sometimes the adrenaline of a crash masks soreness that shows up days later — neck, back, shoulders. If he's feeling anything at all, he should see a doctor now rather than waiting. Not just for his health but because gaps in medical care can complicate things down the road if there turns out to be an injury claim.

Go through his own insurance. I know it feels wrong when it's not his fault, but it's the fastest path to getting a car. His insurer then goes after the other guy's insurer on his behalf. Yes he might have to cover the deductible temporarily, but a lot of policies will waive it or reimburse it once liability is confirmed. Waiting on the at-fault carrier to do the right thing voluntarily can take forever.

Two weeks without a car while also trying to hold down a job is really stressful, especially for someone who's already shaken up from an accident. I really hope you can get this sorted for him soon. You're a good kid for stepping in to help.

Quick question — did your dad actually check whether his policy includes rental reimbursement coverage specifically? Full coverage doesn't automatically mean rental is included, it depends on what he actually selected when he bought the policy. Worth pulling out the declarations page and checking before assuming it's there.