Seattle Auto Accident Attorney Addresses Whether Injured Passengers Have the Same Rights as Drivers in a Collision

An auto accident in Seattle can change your life forever. There are vehicle repairs to worry about, of course, but those costs are often negligible compared to the other possible consequences. You may have to deal with medical issues that will affect you for the rest of your life; you may need to miss work for a long period; or you might even be unable to continue working. Most people know that as a driver they are eligible for damages if someone else was at fault, but people are often less clear about their rights as a passenger. If you have been injured in Washington State in an auto accident while you were a passenger, you should be aware that you do have rights.

As a passenger injured in an auto accident, you are eligible to receive the same types of damages as a driver. However, you cannot receive compensation for damages to another person’s vehicle since you did not incur any of the repair costs.

If you were a passenger during a car accident and another driver was at fault, you are eligible to receive full compensation. This can include medical expenses, lost wages, loss of future income, pain and suffering, and other types of damages depending on the details of the case. What you may not realize is that if the driver you were traveling with was at fault, you also have rights. All persons operating motor vehicles in the state of Washington have a duty to drive in a safe manner that does not expose passengers to unnecessary risk. If the driver was speeding, was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or failed to obey the laws of the road, then they neglected to operate their vehicle in a safe manner. If an accident occurred because of this negligence, you as the passenger are eligible to receive compensation. You may qualify for the same damages as you would if another driver was at fault.

A big question for many passengers is whether they should seek compensation if the driver was at fault. In many cases, the driver is a loved one or friend, so making the decision to take them to court is often difficult. In these instances, though, your first priority has to be protecting yourself. Injuries you sustained in an auto accident may affect your ability to work for years to come and medical bills can quickly add up. Furthermore, the driver’s insurance company will most likely be stuck with the bill. If the driver was at fault in the accident, his or her premiums will almost certainly increase regardless of whether you file a claim.

If you are injured as a passenger in an auto accident—regardless of who was at fault—you should take the following steps to ensure that you receive any entitled money. The first is get checked by a medical professional right away. Have the doctor document all of your injuries, no matter how minor they may seem at the time. Second, you should not sign anything from the insurance company. Their job is to get you to settle for the least amount possible, so it’s quite probable they will offer you far less than they know you deserve. Finally, you need to seek legal counsel from a Washington auto accident attorney like Kirk Bernard who knows the laws regarding auto accidents and the rights of passengers.