Personal injury claims as a passenger in a vehicle

Personal injury claims for traffic accidents happen a lot, actually, because more people on the roads mean more chances for things to go wrong. If you're the driver of the offending vehicle (the one that caused the accident) or if you're the driver of the unfortunate 'victim vehicle,' you have rights regarding accident claims and damages. But what if you're the passenger in either one of those cars? What kind of rights do you have then? For passengers, the personal injury protocol is to file a claim against the insurance company of the driver who caused the accident. Unfortunately, that could be the driver you were riding with, who is most likely a good friend or maybe even a family member. If it was the driver of the other car it's a non-issue, but if it's someone you are close to, you might be reluctant to file the claim. That person's insurance could go up, or their insurance company might even drop them after the claim, making it very hard for them to obtain new insurance for their vehicle at a reasonable rate. That's unfortunate, of course, but you have to protect yourself in the event of an accident. You can't simply avoid much-needed treatment or compensation just because you don't want to hurt the feelings of someone else.

Actually, you could, but it wouldn't be doing you or the other person any favors. Passengers in cars have the right to file claims for personal injury, and they should do so if they have a legitimate claim and they feel that they deserve compensation. Negligence shouldn't be excusable just because it's someone that you know and care about, so don't let your feelings for a particular person affect whether you file a claim. It's nothing personal. It's simply to ensure that the other person's insurance company pays for the expenses that you've incurred for any physician visits, medications, and procedures that you've had to have since the accident. It can also provide for pain and suffering and give you money for the future if you can't work because of the accident or if there is a permanent disability due to your injuries. A passenger in a car has the same kinds of rights that a driver would in that he or she can claim injuries and damages. The only thing that the passenger cannot claim for is the vehicle - unless it belonged to him or her - but this kind of claim would be separate from a personal injury claim anyway.

This article was written by Tom Sangers on behalf of Claims for you who offer Accident Compensation Claims.