Passenger Rights

Being in a passenger in the car when an accident occurs is difficult for a number of reasons. First, there is no way for you to protect yourself from injury or to avoid the accident because you are not in control of the vehicle. Secondly, there becomes a conflict between your individual needs as an injured passenger and your personal connection with the driver. Relationships and friendships can come in the way of you getting the compensation you need for your injuries and unless the driver offers to provide that, timid passengers may go on without their due payment.

It is perfectly natural to feel a draw towards protecting the friend or family member who was driving during the accident but the insurance company will need you to file with them before you can collect any compensation. If the driver of the car you were in was not at fault for the accident, you can file a claim for your medical expenses and other losses with the at-fault insurance company. However, if the driver of your car was to blame, you may feel less inclined to take action.

If you had no part in causing the accident and you had no means of avoiding the car accident, there is no reason for you to bear the financial burden brought upon you by the accident. As a passenger, you have rights to compensation just like anyone else. Remember:

• The driver has responsibility to protect the safety of passengers at all times
• The driver has responsibility to safely operate the vehicle
• The driver has responsibility to take reasonable measures to prevent accidents
• The passenger has the right to seek medical treatment for injuries caused by the accident, even if they manifest sometime after
• The passenger has no obligation to lie about the facts of the accident in order to protect the driver of the car

These matters may be extremely complicated the closer you are to the driver, especially if he or she was doing something wrong to cause the accident. You should not let that bond stand in the way of your rights. If you would like to learn more about your rights as an injured passenger and how a personal injury lawyer in Rhode Island can help you recover compensation for your losses, contact the Law Offices of Robert H. Humphrey. We offer free initial case evaluations that are completely confidential and without obligation so call a Rhode Island personal injury attorney from our firm today.