Passengers who have been injured in a car accident do not know that they have rights and a process they can go through to get compensation. Usually, passengers who have been injured in a car accident remain oblivious to the rights they have as an injured passenger, and they go about with their hospital visits and other related expenses without compensation ever being an option.
You may have been in a taxi cab, a friend’s car, or an Uber at the time of the accident and you may not want to trouble anyone with your expenses, so you might brush off the possibility of even getting compensation.
However, injured passengers have rights that should be availed, especially if there is compensation involved.
The Duty of Care
It would help if you understood that as a passenger, the driver of the vehicle owes a duty of care towards you. This implies that the driver is obligated to drive safely and avoid injuring you or having an accident with other vehicles on the road. This duty of care applies to drivers of all kinds of vehicles, including boats, private planes, motorcycles, etc. If the driver cannot fulfill this duty and causes you serious injury, you can then sue the driver or get compensation.
Your Rights as a Passenger
As an injured passenger, do not skip on getting your due compensation, even if you personally know the driver. The compensation will allow you to pay your medical expenses and repair any of the damages done as a result of the accident. Your rights include the following:
Making a Passenger Claim
After being injured as a passenger in a car accident, you can make a passenger claim with the respective insurance company. Medical insurance payments will keep you covered if you are an injured passenger. It goes without saying that if the driver of the car was someone you personally knew, you might feel awkward making a claim against them; however, the driver will not be paying out of his or her pocket. In fact, the driver’s insurance company is responsible for providing compensation for any claims made. It might also be worth noting that if you and a friend have been in a collision and the law is involved, it would be a wise precaution to hire a lawyer from somewhere such as this Vance Law Firm page or others you can find while researching law firms online.
Types of Damage You Can Get Compensated For
There are many different kinds of damages that you can get compensated for after being the passenger in a car accident. Being a car accident victim, you are entitled to compensation for any lost wages caused by the injuries you have sustained, any medical costs related to your injuries, compensation for your pain and suffering and compensation for being put through psychological distress.
Initiating a Lawsuit
As an injured passenger, you can file a lawsuit against one or all of the drivers involved in the accident. Depending on the accident itself, you might be able to file a lawsuit against the local authorities or even the vehicle’s manufacturer. However, to do so, you will have to contact your Boise car accident lawyer.
Suing the driver might put you through a long process, especially if the driver wants to prove who is at fault, but you will be able to get compensation as the passenger who was not at fault. In the case of your driver being someone you know personally, you might want to avoid suing and settle for compensation from the insurance company.
Conclusion
After an accident, any passenger will feel disoriented and confused about what to do. But, it would help to educate yourself on what an injured passenger needs to do after a car accident. There is no need to fret about your compensation immediately after the accident, but do take the necessary steps that will help you ensure that you can get compensated later on.