Passenger Compensation for an Erie Car Accident Claim
If you were injured as a passenger in a car accident, you need to know your legal rights. Who is responsible for paying your medical bills and reimbursing you for your loss of income? Can you sue the person who was driving the car for passenger compensation? Should you hire an Erie personal injury attorney to help you seek passenger compensation?
Our Erie car accident attorneys can give you answers to your questions. We can help you identify the party or parties liable for your injuries so you can receive the compensation you deserve after being injured in a car crash.
Who is Responsible for Passenger Compensation After a Car Accident?
The answer to that question lies with who caused the car accident. A person who causes a car accident is liable for the damages caused by that accident. Therefore, if the person driving your vehicle caused the crash, you can file an insurance claim with the driver’s insurance provider. Likewise, if the other driver caused the collision, your injury claim would be filed with the other driver’s insurance provider.
However, liability for the car crash could be disputed. Both drivers may claim that they had the right of way. The insurance companies for both drivers may deny liability. What can a passenger do?
As a passenger, you need to retrain an experienced car accident lawyer in Erie to investigate the cause of the crash. Your attorney performs an independent accident investigation to determine how the crash occurred and who was responsible for causing the collision. In some cases, both drivers may share in the responsibility for the cause of the car accident.
Gathering and preserving evidence to prove fault is key to recovering maximum passenger compensation for your injuries, damages, and losses.
How Much is a Passenger Accident Claim Worth?
The amount of compensation a passenger may receive for a car accident injury depends on several factors. In most cases, a passenger does not have any liability for the cause of the car accident because the passenger did not have any control over the events that led to the car crash. The passenger is a victim.
Therefore, the passenger should be entitled to full compensation for all injuries, losses, and damages. However, other factors may also impact the value of a passenger injury claim. For instance, the amount of available insurance, types of injuries, the severity of injuries, and the assignment of fault can impact the value of a passenger injury claim.
An Erie car accident lawyer can help you document your injuries to maximize passenger compensation for an automobile accident.
Common damages and losses included in a passenger injury claim include:
- Medical bills and expenses
- Loss of income
- Personal care costs
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish and emotional distress
- Loss of quality of life and enjoyment of life
Before accepting a settlement offer from either driver’s insurance provider, contact an attorney to discuss your passenger injury claim. Once you accept a settlement offer, it could make it more challenging to sue the other driver. In some cases, the release you sign when you settle a claim could release all potential parties from claims.
It is best to allow an attorney to review the settlement offer to ensure that it is fair and just before accepting the offer.
Contact Our Erie Car Accident Attorney for a Free Case Review
It may be uncomfortable suing the driver if you are friends or family members. However, you may need to file a lawsuit to force the insurance company to offer a fair amount to settle your injury claim.
Contact The Travis Law Firm by calling (800) 401-2066 to schedule your free legal consultation with our Erie car accident attorney.