Had To Fork Out For Damaging A Hire Car On holiday? Almost A Quarter Are Adamant It Wasn't Their Fault

That's according to new research, which said 23 per cent of all drivers who made a claim through their hire-car insurance policy said it wasn't their fault.

In fact, three quarters of those who deny denting, scratching or crashing their hire vehicle said the damage was done while it was parked.

Specialist car hire excess insurance supplier iCarhireinsurance.com said it analysed more than 7,000 claims it had processed between 1 January 2014 and 30 September 2015.

Of the 23 per cent who said the damage wasn't caused by them, 74 per cent said they found the car was damaged when they returned to it after parking up.

Other ‘not my fault’ excuses included vandalism or theft (especially in Italy and Portugal) with 15 per cent issuing this defence.

Another four per cent also said that the damage on the car they handed back was already there when they originally picked it up, though it wasn't recorded on the rental company's check sheet on collection.

Finally, two per cent blamed a collision with an animal. Damage was said to be caused by a range of creatures including deer, dogs, a kangaroo and even a boar.

The average cost for all these 'not my fault' claims was between £400 and £800, according to iCarhireinsurance.com.

Ernesto Suarez, CEO and founder of the insurer, said: 'It doesn’t matter how good a driver you are, if your hire car gets damaged you will be held liable by the rental company whether it was your fault or not.'

Car hire firms typically offer vehicle renters extra excess insurance at the desk, however this can prove expensive as costs typically rack up daily. An alternative is to take a standalone policy from specialists, who may offer year-round cover that beats one week's worth of charges at the rental desk.