Connecticut Court Clears Rental Car Company of Liability in Ignition Lock Case

A Connecticut appellate court has affirmed that rental car companies are not responsible for confirming driver’s license restrictions beyond inspecting the physical card for validity and expiration. The decision supports Enterprise Rental Car, operating as EAN Holdings, in a personal injury lawsuit involving a customer who was prohibited from operating vehicles without an ignition interlock device.

The case arose after the EAN customer, while allegedly under the influence of drugs or alcohol, struck a pedestrian. The plaintiff claimed EAN was negligent in renting the vehicle without confirming the driver’s restriction requiring an ignition interlock device. However, the court ruled that state law does not impose a duty on rental firms to access online databases to identify such license limitations.

The employee who rented the car confirmed the license appeared valid and unexpired and observed no signs of impairment or unfitness. The court found that, absent visible red flags, there was no obligation for EAN to go beyond the statutory requirement of visual license inspection.

Ultimately, the court determined that EAN did not violate any duty under common law or statute and upheld summary judgment in favor of the rental company. The ruling reinforces the limited scope of responsibility for vehicle rental firms regarding license verification processes.