Your Rights as a Passenger in an Auto Accident

In many automobile accidents, vehicle passengers are greater affected by serious injury than the drivers themselves. After an accident, it’s important to know your rights as a passenger, and what you need to do to receive legal compensation for lost work and wages.

Following an accident, seeking help from a committed, trained auto accident attorney can make all the difference in your injury claim and compensation; things rings true for passenger victims as well as drivers.

If you have been significantly affected by any of the following injuries as a passenger in an auto accident, we urge you to speak with a seasoned attorney today. Doing so can grant you the financial support you need for medical bills, lost wages and time working.

• Spine or back injuries
• Broken bones or bone joints
• Disfigurement of any kind
• Head trauma
• General shock
• Internal body injury

Passengers and Automobile Accidents

As an automobile passenger, you are put at just as much risk for personal injury in an accident, if not more so, as drivers. You could be slammed into the vehicle’s dashboard, or suffer severe spinal injury in the event of an accident. In these situations, however, you have rights to due compensation for medical fees and lost wages; especially if negligent, reckless driving or alcohol is involved in your accident.

As a passenger, you have the same rights as drivers to file an injury claim and receive the compensation you need to recover after an auto accident. This applies to all accident types, including:

• Highway accidents
• Intersection accidents
• Truck or motorcycle accidents
• Rear-end collisions
• Alcohol or substance-related accidents
• Hit-and-run accidents
• Head-on collisions
• Accidents caused by distracted or reckless drivers
• Accidents caused by adverse weather conditions or road condition

Perhaps the most important thing to do after an accident, even as a passenger, is to carefully document everything involving or possible contributing to the accident. This information can be used to strengthen your accident claim, and get you the full compensation you deserve for your injuries or lost wages.

Even as a passenger victim, you need sufficient evidence to back your claim in court. Generally, you can gather a large portion of this information on-site after your accident. If possible, record all relevant information on the following at the site of your accident or immediately after. This includes:

• Driver and vehicle information of parties involved
• Witness information
• Road conditions and traffic
• Weather conditions (especially important during high wind or rain)
• Any evidence of alcohol or reckless driving involved in your accident

Additionally, photographic evidence can make a significant difference in your claim as an accident passenger. If you can, snap photos of vehicles, injuries and road/weather conditions immediately following your accident.

Later on, after your accident, carefully document all medical fees and missing work related to the accident. Even as a passenger, you have the right to pursue and receive compensation for damages suffered in an accident.

What You Need to Do as a Passenger Victim

Beyond carefully documenting everything related to an accident, one of the best things you can do for your injury claim after an accident is contact an experienced, specially trained auto accident attorney. Far too often, we see passenger victims of auto accidents lose their claim due to poor representation; following an accident and severe injury, you’re not alone. Compassionate injury attorney can fight for your rights as an automobile passenger, and help you get the compensation you deserve.

To get full compensation for injuries sustained as a passenger in an auto accident, it’s important to act quickly in seeking representation; if you don’t strengthen and file your claim quickly, you’ll be less likely to receive the complete compensation you deserve.

Getting support for accident-related injuries as a passenger doesn’t have to be as hard as it seems. Act now, and speak with a trained accident attorney to improve the way your claim is handled in court.