A personal injury lawyer has to frequently answer the compensation options for victims who suffer injuries in a car accident that they did not cause. However, passengers can also get injured in car accidents. Being a passenger in a car accident can be scary and confusing, both at the time of the collision and in the aftermath. You may have been at the wrong place and at the wrong time but the seriousness of your injuries may not have been your fault. If you have known of the compensation rights of drivers who suffer injuries in an accident, you must also know that passengers are equally eligible to seek monetary compensation. 

If you are an injured passenger, you must know your legal rights and the options to get compensated. To ensure monetary compensation, make no delay in talking to an attorney at Sarraf Law Firm. 

 

Whom can you sue for your injuries as a passenger? 

Unlike a car driver, passengers are entitled to recover the full amount of damages they suffer. Consequently, if you have been injured as a passenger you may be able to sue or seek compensation from: 

  • The car driver you were writing with
  • The other car driver, or
  • Both the drivers

It is usually easier for a passenger to claim monetary compensation for a car accident than it is for a driver. This is because it is usually thought that passengers cannot be deemed liable for causing an accident. However, cases like these can get complicated. So, it is important to consult a personal injury lawyer without a delay.  

 

Identifying the at-fault driver

If you have been in a car accident in California, usually the vehicle driver is responsible for the safety of their passengers. In the legal sense, drivers in California roads are required to exercise a reasonable duty of care to avoid endangering the passengers they are riding with. Therefore, the violation of this duty makes the driver liable if they cause an accident, resulting in physical injuries. As an injured passenger, you may be eligible to seek monetary compensation from the responsible party for your injuries. 

Typically you would be able to see compensation from either the driver you were riding with, the other driver, or from both through the responsible party’s insurance company. It is always best to consult a personal injury lawyer when dealing with the insurance company in such matters. 

 

Under which circumstances can you claim as a passenger? 

There are several misconceptions when it comes to passenger car accident claims. It is mostly assumed that passengers cannot claim monetary compensation if they were injured in the same vehicle that caused the accident. This is indeed a myth. As an injured passenger, you can make a claim when you know: 

  • The driver was driving under the influence of alcohol or substance. 
  • The driver was careless while driving.
  • The driver ignored the road safety rules deliberately. 

The above factors impact the amount of compensation that the injured driver is eligible to receive. However, it does not impact the compensation that a passenger is entitled to. 

 

Making a passenger accident claim 

In most car accident claims, injuries and damages to passengers play a vital role. Often, passengers have little or no control over the accident and the injuries they suffer are mostly because of someone else’s negligence. Securing monetary compensation can help you recover the physical and financial impact of the accident.

At Sarraf Law Firm, we have handled several cases concerning passenger accidents. If you have any questions or concerns about a passenger claim, kindly get in touch with us a letter to help you obtain the compensation you deserve.