When you are involved in a car accident as a passenger, you may be wondering what you do in terms of seeking compensation for your injuries. Here is what you need to know about two different situations that you may find yourself in.
When Another Vehicle Is At Fault
Anytime you are in an accident when another vehicle is the cause of the crash, the full liability of the accident is going to fall on the driver of that vehicle. This means that you'll be able to seek compensation for your bodily injuries from that driver's insurance company, with there hopefully being enough coverage to pay for all of your medical bills.
However, there can be times when the other driver is uninsured, doesn't have enough insurance, or it is a hit-and-run accident. In this situation, you can actually use your personal car insurance as a passenger in another vehicle. You'd need to have underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage, but it will apply to your medical bills even if you are not the driver of the vehicle you are in.
When Your Vehicle's Driver Is At Fault
Things become a bit more complicated when you are the passenger in a vehicle where the driver causes an accident. You won't be able to sue the other vehicle's driver, so you would actually need to file a lawsuit against the driver of the vehicle you were traveling in. You would then use their insurance policy for bodily injury coverage to pay for your medical bills.
If the fault is split between two vehicles, you would actually have an injury lawsuit against both drivers. You would not be able to hold any fault in the accident unless you were not wearing a seat belt at the time, but could have your injury covered between both insurance policies. It's a situation where you'll definitely want to work with a lawyer, because both insurance providers will try to argue about how much fault their driver holds in the accident.
So what do you do if you're driving with your spouse and get into an accident and are injured as a passenger? You can't file a lawsuit against someone else that is on your auto insurance policy, so you'd need to have additional liability insurance to cover you as a passenger. It may be wise to consult with a lawyer to figure out what your options are if you are dealing with major medical bills.
For more information, contact auto accident injury attorneys near you.
Share19 January 2023
When a person is involved in an accident that's caused by someone else, they may need to speak with an accident and personal injury attorney. Mounting costs of medical care and time off from work can cause money problems for people who are injured. Those who hire an attorney can often receive monetary compensation from the responsible party. We aren't involved in the legal profession, but we do understand the stress that injuries and medical bills can cause. We've researched legal information and written this blog to help those who are in this situation. We hope the articles on our site will answer the questions you have about accident and personal injury attorneys.