Recovering Compensation as a Passenger in a Car Accident

If you were a passenger inside of a vehicle when an accident occurred, then you need to know what steps to take to recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses you may incur. However, recovering compensation in these situations can be confusing and challenging. Here, we want to discuss how you can recover compensation as a passenger in a vehicle accident in North Carolina.

Passengers Should Speak to an Attorney Quickly

If you have been injured as a passenger in a vehicle accident, you should still consider speaking with an attorney as soon as you can. These claims can become complicated, particularly if there is a dispute between the drivers over who caused the incident.

When a passenger secures assistance from an attorney, they are showing that they have an advocate by their side to help them recover maximum compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages. We do understand that it is very likely you personally know the driver of the vehicle you were in, and this individual may even be a family member or friend. However, when you have an attorney, this will take the emotional aspect out of the situation and ensure that you have somebody looking out for your well-being.

Determining Liability for a North Carolina Car Accident

When a vehicle accident occurs in North Carolina, liability must be determined so that the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier can provide compensation to others involved. Liability will be determined regardless of whether or not there were any passengers inside of the vehicles. The insurance carriers in these situations will conduct their own investigations into the incident.

As an injured passenger, your claim may become more complicated because it can involve multiple drivers’ insurance carriers.

In the state of North Carolina, all drivers are required to carry a certain amount and type of insurance in order to remain legal on the roadway. Currently, these requirements are as follows:

• Bodily injury liability coverage: Minimum requirement $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident
• Property damage liability coverage: Minimum requirement $25,000
• Uninsured motorist bodily injury: Minimum requirement $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident
• Uninsured/Underinsured motorist property damage: Minimum requirement $25,000

Passengers are rarely found to be at fault for vehicle accidents, except for certain rare circumstances. If multiple parties are at fault for causing the crash, passengers may have to file claims with more than one driver’s insurance carrier to recover full compensation for their losses.

Compensation Available for Passengers in a Vehicle Accident

There may be various types of compensation available to passengers who sustain injuries in a vehicle accident. This can include, but is not limited to, the following:

• Complete coverage of all medical expenses related to the crash
• Lost wages if a passenger cannot work while recovering
• Pain and suffering damages
• Loss of quality of life damages
• Property damage expenses (cell phone, computer, any other property inside the vehicle that sustained damage)

The total amount of compensation available to injured passengers in North Carolina will vary depending on factors related to each particular accident claim. We encourage all passengers to work with their Raleigh car accident lawyer, who can enlist assistance from medical and economic experts to adequately calculate total losses.