By When you ride in someone else’s car you entrust them with your life and safety. It comes with the trust that they will not take any reckless actions to put you or other fellow passengers in harm’s way. However, unfortunate accidents can happen at any time and to anyone without warning. Getting involved in an accident as a passenger in someone else’s car can pose a lot of unwanted problems for you and leave you with thousands of dollars in medical bills, lost wages, costs of therapy, rehabilitation downtime, and more.
Thankfully, passengers who get injured in such accidents have more rights to financial compensation than either of the two-car drivers because there are very few chances for the passenger to be responsible for the accident. Therefore, it is much easier for passengers to file a legal claim for financial compensation after a vehicular accident than it is for a car driver. However, like all legal cases, such cases can get complicated very quickly, and it is crucial to be aware of your rights if you ever find yourself in an unfortunate situation.
Duty of Care
According to car accident attorneys, all drivers have a responsibility to drive safely and prevent any injury to the passengers in the vehicle. It is known as the ‘duty of care and applies to drivers of all kinds of vehicles, whether trucks, cars, or airplanes.
If the driver of the vehicle violates this duty of care due to reckless or negligent driving and it results in significant physical injury or death to one or more passengers, the passengers have a legal right to sue them for compensation of any damages that directly result from their injuries or property damage. You can also file a lawsuit against the driver of the other vehicle if he/she was responsible for the accident.
Who Can You Sue?
If you get injured as a passenger in someone’s car, it is highly unlikely for you to be found at fault for the accident. Consequently, you can rest assured that you will be able to recover the complete amount of damages resulting from the accident.
Depending on the circumstances of your accident, you might be able to sue the driver of the car, the other driver, both drivers, a local authority responsible for the accident, or the vehicle manufacturer if the accident resulted from a mechanical malfunction.
Types of Compensable Injuries
Car crashes can result in a wide range of serious physical injuries that can range from minor bruises to bone fractures, and more. Some examples of car accident-related injuries include facial bruising, scarring, neck injuries, broken bones, burns, whiplash injury, spinal injury, paralysis, or even death.
Such injuries can leave you with stacks of medical bills, costs of ongoing treatment, occupational rehabilitation, incidental expenses, and more. Luckily, you can pursue legal action for the compensation of all these damages and recover most of the finances through a lawsuit trial or settlement.
Conclusion
It is essential to know your legal rights as a passenger involved in an unfortunate car accident. You can file a lawsuit against the negligent parties to obtain fair financial compensation for your damages. One of the most important steps towards safeguarding your passenger rights is hiring experienced auto accident attorneys who can guide you through the complicated process of filing a lawsuit in a court of law.
