If you are the passenger inside of a vehicle involved in an accident, you should be able to recover compensation for your injuries and other losses. However, the process of securing compensation in these situations can seem confusing. Here, we want to discuss the steps that you should take if you are injured as a passenger in a vehicle accident in Arizona. We strongly suggest that you work with a skilled vehicle accident attorney who has experience handling these claims.
Consider Speaking With an Attorney
If you are injured in an accident as a passenger inside of a vehicle, you need to consider talking to an attorney soon as possible. These cases can become complicated, particularly if there is a dispute over who caused the incident. You need to make sure that you have someone on your side who can advocate for you to recover maximum compensation for your losses. Yes, we understand that you likely know one of the drivers involved in the accident, and they may even be a friend or family member. However, an attorney will be able to help you make this less personal and look out for your financial well-being and your health.
Determining Liability for the Accident
It will have to be determined which driver caused the accident. This will be the case regardless of whether or not there were any passengers in the vehicle when the incident occurred. The insurance carriers of every driver involved will conduct independent investigations into the incident so that they can determine who is responsible for paying compensation. As an injured passenger, your claim may certainly involve more than one driver’s insurance carrier, unless it is determined that one driver was 100% responsible for the incident.
The total amount of compensation that each insurance carrier pays a passenger will depend on how much fault the drivers had for the incident. For example, if it is determined that both drivers were equally responsible for the crash, then they would each be 50% responsible for paying the passenger’s expenses. However, suppose the passenger sustained $100,000 worth of medical bills as a result of a collision. If Driver A is found to be 80% responsible for the crash and Driver B was found to be 20% responsible for the collision, then Driver A’s insurance carrier would pay $80,000, and Driver B’s insurance carrier would pay $20,000.
Types of Compensation Available to Passengers
There may be various types of compensation available to passengers involved in an accident. If there were any injuries, their medical bills should be completely covered by the insurance carriers involved in the collision. In addition to medical bills, passengers may need help with compensation for lost income if they cannot work while they recover as well as any household out-of-pocket expenses they incur. Additionally, passengers will likely be able to recover some sort of pain and suffering or loss of enjoyment of life damages.
A skilled Arizona car accident lawyer will be able to work with the passenger involved and enlist the assistance of trusted medical and economic experts who can help properly calculate total expected losses.
