All too often we hear of passengers who have been seriously injured or killed in car accidents. Passengers especially do not have any control over the vehicles in which they are riding, and they are all together unable to prevent accidents from occurring. The seriousness of a passenger’s injuries may become more significant depending on how the accident took place as well as the number of vehicles that were involved. If you have been injured in a car accident, contact Bernard M. Tully today. He is here to help you or your loved ones get the money they deserve.
What to do if you are the Passenger in an Accident
With injury cases involving passengers, proving that there was liability is often easier because such accidents often involve multiple at-fault parties. When more than one vehicle is involved, an injured passenger could file a lawsuit against each driver, potentially maximizing his or her recovery amount.
If your car was hit from behind, the passenger would be unlikely to file a claim against your driver because the collision was not their fault. In addition, in cases in which the driver of the vehicle in which the passenger was riding is the passenger’s spouse or immediate family member, the passenger will likely not file a lawsuit against that driver because the passenger may be insured under the same policy.
Many People at Fault
When two or more drivers are at fault in an accident, the passenger will name each driver as a defendant to the lawsuit. If none of the drivers settle and the case goes to trial, the jury will assign fault to each driver according to percentages of the total. Each at-fault driver will then be responsible for paying his or her percentage of the fault for the accident. For example, if a jury awards an injured passenger $200,000 in an accident involving two drivers, the passenger will receive the percentage that was assigned to each driver. For example, If the jury finds that one driver was 80 percent liable while the other was 20 percent liable, one driver will pay $160,000 and the other will pay $40,000.
Regardless of the situation, being in an accident can be a traumatic serious experience. At Bernard M. Tully Attorney at Law, we are here to represent you. Contact us today to set up a free consultation. What if I do not want to sue my driver? That is not a problem. There are legal ways to work around that issue so you do NOT have to sue your driver. Call us to find out how!