If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, you have the right to find an experienced lawyer who will fight for your rights. All car wreck lawyers can help with car accident injury cases, but a lawyer with specific experience in representing the rights of injured passengers has more experience and is better prepared to investigate all possible causes of action, discuss your rights with you, pursue the best possible resolution of your case, and fight for justice.
Compensation for injured passengers in car accidents can be very complicated. Insurance companies want to make it difficult for you, and they will do their best to make sure you do not receive all of the money you are owed. That is why it is important to talk with an experienced car accident injury lawyer after a collision.
Injured passenger compensation
The car accident attorneys at Settles Law Firm are experts at getting passengers the compensation that they deserve. If you have suffered injuries because of a negligent driver, then you should be compensated for your pain and suffering. You should also get compensated for your time missed from work, any medical bills, and loss of quality of life over the course of your recovery period. These are only a few of the factors that are considered when figuring out how much an injured passenger should receive in their settlement.
You have rights as a passenger. You are entitled to be compensated, including costs associated
- your injuries
- medical bills
- property damage
- losses of income
- Lost wages while you heal, and pain and suffering.
No injury is a small one. Even a broken bone can cost a few thousand dollars, while more serious injuries can settle for hundreds of thousands of dollars. To discuss your case with a Baltimore car accident lawyer, who may be able to tell you the verdicts and settlements they have seen for cases with similar circumstances.
The driver of the same vehicle was at fault
When a passenger is injured in a vehicle collision caused by the driver of the vehicle, the passenger may be able to recover money from the driver’s own car insurance policy. The passenger would need to show that the driver was negligent and contributed to the crash. This brochure explains how this would work and discusses limitations on passenger claims and other issues.
Claim against the Driver’s Insurance
While an injured passenger may be entitled to file a claim against the driver’s insurance, this will depend on how the accident occurred. You can often be compensated for medical bills or lost wages, but you need to know your rights and what family members are not covered. The statute provides that the total damages recoverable for bodily injury to household member passengers are limited to the liability limits on the non-owner automobile policy.
Under the legal doctrine of contributory negligence, this would be called an “absolute liability” case. If your injuries resulted in $50,000 in damages, you would be entitled to zero damages, simply because no one is ever 100% responsible for an accident.
Passenger Rights When Both Drivers Share Fault
A passenger is entitled to compensation for bodily injury if the driver’s insurance pays the passenger any amounts under the driver’s policy. The injured person may file claims against both driver’s insurance policies for this reason. If one driver is found by the court to be 30% responsible for the accident and liability, that driver’s insurance company is obligated to pay 30% of all damages. This does not necessarily mean that the other driver has to pay 70%. Drivers may share some liability in which case, both drivers can be compelled to help cover injuries.
When multiple-person injuries occur
Many insurance companies may reduce compensation for injuries to all of the people in the accident. This is known as “split-limit liability” or “per person/per claim” liability. With one person injured in a car accident, an insurance company would pay up to $15,000 in medical payments coverage for injuries. If two or more people are injured in an accident, the total payment for medical expenses would drop to $30,000.
A car accident attorney can help you to handle your case with the right advice with proper solution.
