Being a passenger in an automobile accident can be every bit as bad as being the driver. No matter what the circumstances were regarding the fault of the car accident, one thing is for sure—it was not your fault. If you were hurt as a passenger, you might have medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering that you would like to see compensated for. Passengers can easily find themselves in a financial crises without the proper legal support.
At Peter Davis Law, your Paterson personal injury resources, we want to arm you with the knowledge to successfully pursue your personal injury claim. As the passenger in an accident, you deserve compensation for your injuries and lost time. Here is an overview of what you can do as a passenger in a car accident to receive compensation from your lawsuit.
Your Third Party Insurance Claim
As the passenger in a vehicle, you have the right to file a claim against a driver who was involved or the person who was driving the vehicle that you were in, depending on who it is that was determined to have been at fault. Whether you are filing against the claim of the driver of your vehicle or another, it will be a third party claim. In many cases, passengers must file a claim with both parties insurance policies in order to receive full compensation. This can be due to a number of factors, for example, it is not always determined that one person is always at fault. If one driver does not have sufficient coverage to pay for your grievances, you may receive compensation from the other.
It is important to note that you will not be able to “double dip,” or file a claim and receive the same amount from both. Filing two claims only lessons the chances of receiving adequate compensation.
Being Related to The Driver
If you are related to the driver, especially if you are living with the driver, you will more than likely be unable to file a claim against them. In situations such as these, passengers are often considered insured under the driver’s policy. This factor normally includes children or grandchildren of a driver, or parents of a driver. Of course, being related to the driver does not always mean that you cannot file a claim against their liability policy. To find out if you are covered under their policy, you must review their insurance plan.
Getting Your Bills Covered
Processing a personal injury claim can take a lot of time. By the time that your claim is being sorted, you may have bills piling up that lost wages make impossible to cover. In this case, speak to your insurance provider about a type of coverage that is known as MedPay, or medical payments coverage. This will help to compensate for your bills until you can receive your compensation.
Pursuing a Personal Injury Claim
Were you are passenger who was hurt in an automobile accident? No matter who was at fault, you should pursue a claim against the insurance of the responsible party in order to get compensation. For more information, visit our areas of practice page or contact a representative with Peter Davis Law, your Paterson personal injury resource, today.