Know the Rights of Passengers Injured in Traffic Accidents
Let’s say you are a passenger in a vehicle and the driver of that vehicle you are in causes an accident. Could you sue the driver of the vehicle you were riding in for negligence? Yes. You can sue the driver of the vehicle for negligence and that reality, your insurance company covers the medical expenses of your injuries, lost wages due to absence from work, in addition to physical and mental pain and suffering.
The driver or operator of a motor vehicle or any other type of transport, has the obligation to drive responsibly and cautiously not only to avoid colliding with other vehicles, but also to avoid injury to people traveling in their vehicle. If the driver does not ensure the safety of his passengers, causing an accident in which one of the passengers ends up injured or killed. The driver automatically becomes liable for paying for all damages resulting from their injuries.
Suing a friend is not pleasant, however…
Sometimes injured victims don’t want to demand compensation from their friends or file a lawsuit for their injuries because they feel loyalty to their friend and are afraid that a lawsuit against their friend will destroy their relationship. But understand that who you are really suing is the insurance company, not your friend. That’s why you and your friend are affiliated with an insurance company, not only to protect your vehicle, but you also have insurance to cover the injuries, deaths and damages that may be caused by you or anyone driving the vehicle, this includes injury or death of any of your passengers.
If you are involved in an accident while you are a passenger in a vehicle, boat, or airplane, and the driver of that or a second vehicle was at fault, there are certain things you should do.
If another vehicle was involved in the accident, you should make sure that your friend or the police get all the information from that driver, when it is said information refers to all your personal data, such as: telephone numbers, name, home address, address and telephone number of your insurance agent. To avoid being deceived, you should make sure that the details of the person responsible for the accident are legitimate, so ask to see their driver’s license and insurance card, and also write the license plate number of the vehicle.
In case the driver is not the owner of the vehicle, write down the name and address of the registered owner. Ask the driver if they know the registered owner’s phone number. The registered owner of a car may be liable by virtue of the user who has been allowed to use his vehicle. The registered owner may be directly liable for your injuries if you lent the vehicle to another driver, even knowing you were under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
It is important to contact an experienced law firm immediately after the accident, as the law firm may send an associated investigator to the scene of the accident to inspect and take photographs of the accident site and any dangerous conditions that caused or contributed to the accident. The attorney or his investigator will also want to speak with any witnesses to the accident, butEnter the facts are fresh in their minds.
It is
also important to contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible, as the other party’s insurance company will assign you an adjuster for the case as soon as the incident is reported to the same. An insurance adjuster is an employee of the insurance company, and their only concern is that the numbers favor your company and not you. Accident victims who are represented by an efficient law firm end up with a significantly larger amount of money in their pockets, even after they have paid the attorney’s fees.
The insurance adjuster will want to take your statement as soon as possible. Do not give him your statement until you consult with an experienced attorney. The adjuster is trained to ask misleading questions that are designed to make your answers favor that insurance company and leave you at a disadvantage. A statement should never be given to an insurance company adjuster or other representative without the consent and presence of your attorney.