You’ve been involved in a bad car wreck, and you’re seriously injured. Everything happened so fast that you’re not entirely sure who is at fault – but you know it wasn’t you. You were merely a passenger in one of the cars involved.
How do you get your injuries and other losses covered in this kind of situation? Even though you’re entirely blameless for the whole situation, it may not be easy.
Why do passengers sometimes have trouble collecting after a crash?
Passengers in a vehicle have the same right to pursue compensation for their injuries after a car accident that drivers do – but the process may not be straightforward. Before you can collect what you are due, someone has to take responsibility for the wreck. That can be a big problem.
If one driver was clearly at fault for the crash, you could press your claim against that driver (even if it was the driver of the car you were in). It isn’t unusual, however, for both insurance companies or drivers involved in an accident to engage in a little finger-pointing, with each side blaming the other. That can leave you trapped in the middle.
It’s also possible that you may have to sue both drivers to collect what you are due. This can happen when each driver made mistakes that contributed to the crash. Once again, getting your losses covered may not be easy if the two sides are still battling over how much fault each side will accept – and, therefore, how your claim will be divided.
You may also run into another problem with your claim: Inadequate coverage. If there were several passengers involved in the wreck, the per-accident limit of the at-fault driver’s insurance could affect your compensation.
Passengers who are injured in motor vehicle wrecks may find themselves in complicated positions, so don’t hesitate to seek experienced guidance for your claim.