Being hurt after a careless driver causes an accident is bad enough. Being along for the ride when an accident happens, though, can also be awkward. If you were relaxing in the passenger seat one minute and involved in a car accident the next, read below for some guidance.
Who Was At Fault?
You may be so concerned with dealing with your injuries that the issue of what caused the accident might not immediately occur to you. Sooner or later, though, it will come up. Fault is a huge part of a vehicle accident case. If both drivers are insured, the driver found to have caused the wreck (and their insurer) is responsible for paying the money damages of all concerned parties, and that includes you. In some cases, both drivers share the fault for the accident and so then share responsibility based on a percentage.
Who To Sue
If the other driver was at fault, you can take action against them by speaking to a personal injury lawyer. If the driver in your vehicle was found to have caused the accident, you can take action against them also. This can create an uncomfortable situation for some hurt passengers when they must take legal action against a friend, co-worker, or loved one who is at fault for an accident. However, you may not have a choice in the matter.
Damages and Recovery
Car accidents create not just medical expenses but other forms of damage and all of it can be paid to passenger victims. If you use your own insurance when you seek medical care, and you should do so, your insurer will act to recover any medical costs from the insurer for the at-fault driver. That means that even if you don't take legal action against the driver, your insurer will do it for you. Also, you are entitled to lost wages, pain and suffering, and more as a result of the accident. Unless you are planning to pay all of that on your own, you must take action against the driver. You should know, however, that you are not taking personal action against the driver — you are taking action against their insurance company.
Don't Fail to Act
You should not just sit back and let things happen after an accident. Seek medical care and keep up with all damages, like lost wages. Be proactive and obtain a copy of the police report from law enforcement. Finally, speak to a personal injury lawyer about your case. That is the best way to know what to expect in terms of compensation. Contact a law firm like Lawson Law, P.C. to learn more.
The world is a crazy place, and you never know when you will be faced with an uphill legal battle. I didn't used to feel like I was at a high risk for being sued, but after dealing with various business concerns, I could tell that I needed to procure an attorney. I was faced with a few problems such as managing my employees and dealing with a pending lawsuit, and I didn't know what to do or how to go about managing various issues. Fortunately, my lawyer understood what we needed to do to work things out, and we managed things appropriately. On this website, find out how to identify your rights and take care of business.