Were you riding as a passenger when your driver caused a crash? Or were you seated in someone else’s car when another driver hit them?
You have the right to seek compensation from the parties that contributed to your injuries, but it may be complicated to get to that point. Therefore, you need a Los Angeles passenger injury car accident lawyer on your side.
When you’re ready, contact a Los Angeles car accident lawyer from Omega Law Group to help you with your compensation claim. We put our clients first and have the experience and insight required to easily and correctly handle an injury claim, even for those injured in car accidents, despite not being a driver.
Who Pays When Passengers Get Hurt?
When you get hurt in an accident as a driver, you know that you should file a claim against the other driver. Even if you think you are partially liable for the crash, you probably know that you should do this.
But what should you do if you were hurt while riding as a passenger in someone else’s car? Who pays for your injuries and damages?
A Los Angeles personal injury lawyer will tell you that it is whoever was responsible for the car crash. For this reason, an experienced passenger injury lawyer may not start a passenger injury claim until it becomes more apparent who is liable for your accident injuries.
How Passenger Claims Lawyers Determine Fault in a Car Accident Claim
According to Cal. Civ. Code § 1431.2, fault can be split between multiple parties, so passenger claims lawyers will determine whether one driver, both drivers or somebody else is at fault for the accident.
The experienced attorneys at Omega Law Group will gather and evaluate evidence to determine who caused the crash and is, therefore, responsible for paying for the damages you suffered.
We’ll look for traffic camera footage, surveillance footage, and the police report for clues. We can even hire car accident reconstructionists to help determine fault in your case. We’ll work tirelessly to determine fault and help you obtain maximum compensation.
What Do Insurance Companies Do if There Are Disagreements About Fault?
In collisions involving more than one vehicle, each insurance company involved may try to lay blame on the other driver. After all, auto insurance policies only make money for their companies when they pay out as far below the insurance limits as possible.
Personal injury attorneys can help determine who the at-fault driver is and apply pressure on their insurance company to pay for all your costs related to the accident.
From your physical injuries to your emotional distress, the experienced car accident lawyers from Omega Law Group work hard to hold the liable parties responsible and get injured passengers the money they deserve.
What if the Liable Party Is a Friend or Family Member?
You might have to file a claim against the person who was driving you to your destination, which could be a friend or family member. This situation can become awkward and complicated quite quickly.
Keep in mind that you will be filing a claim against their insurance company rather than against them personally. Additionally, by leaving our passenger claims attorneys in charge of your case, you can leave everything up to us. We know how to advance a case without worsening tensions between yourself and the defendant if you are related to them.
Your family member or good friend should understand that you are entitled to money for the injuries you suffered when they were driving, and they should want you to get the best medical care possible.
How Big of a Settlement Could a Los Angeles Passenger Lawyer Get Me?
Passenger claims lawyers frequently offer free consultations. During this comprehensive evaluation, we can tally up all your damages to figure out how much money you may be owed. Here are some of the damages you might be entitled to.
Medical Bills
You should get money for all medical expenses related to the accident. From your initial hospital visit to any surgeries you needed to physical therapy to ongoing care for a now-permanent disability, you should get enough money to cover it all.
Lost Wages
If you missed work while recovering from your injuries, you should be paid to make up for those lost wages.
If you can no longer make the same amount of money you did before because you now have a permanent disability, you’re entitled to money to make up for your reduced future earnings, as well.
Pain and Suffering
While it may seem difficult to put a dollar amount on the pain and suffering you endured after the crash, these damages may make up the largest part of your settlement.
Your medical records can help prove how much pain you dealt with, so be sure to go to the doctor even if you think there’s nothing they can do to improve your pain.
Permanent Disability
Having a permanent disability can decrease your quality of life, make it harder to earn an income, and wreak havoc on your mental health. As a result, you should get a large settlement if you have a new permanent disability from the car accident.
Property Damage
If you were a passenger, your vehicle wasn’t wrecked in the accident. However, if your belongings were damaged in the crash (like your phone or an expensive purse), you should get money to repair or replace them.
Lost Enjoyment of Life
If you develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, or other conditions that have made your world turn gray since the accident, you should get money for your lost enjoyment of life.
Wrongful Death Damages
If your spouse, child, or parent was killed as a passenger in a vehicle they weren’t driving, a Los Angeles wrongful death lawyer may be able to help you get money for their funeral expenses, lost wages, and more.
What If You Don’t Know Who Caused The Crash?
It is possible that neither driver will accept any liability for the accident that hurt you while you were riding as a passenger. Insurance companies can sometimes agree to leave things be and not pursue damages against each other, which puts you at a loss of what to do next.
In this case, our lawyers can consider filing your personal injury claim against both drivers and their policies. At this point, the defendants can work it out among themselves to see who owes you what portion of your compensation.
The point is that we can pursue damage in any situation, even when liability has been hotly contested.
How Much Time Do You Have to File a Claim?
In California, the deadlines to sue someone vary depending on the claim, but you have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury claim.
We recommend that you contact a passenger claims lawyer as soon as possible after your accident, though, so we can start collecting evidence before it is deleted or fades from memory.
Besides, the sooner you contact us, the sooner we can get you the money you’re entitled to.
Common Personal Injuries of People Who Weren’t Driving
From mild to catastrophic injuries, here are some of the most common injuries that passengers receive in vehicle collisions:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and other head or facial injuries
- Internal injuries
- Damage to organs
- Soft tissue injuries
- Burn injuries
- Crush injuries
- Dental injuries
- Knee injuries
- Eye injuries
Regardless of what kinds of injuries the accident caused, an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you get a fair settlement for your medical expenses, property damage, emotional costs, and more.
Have you been involved
in an accident?
(310) 526-8383 Common Causes of Motor Vehicle Accidents in California
While rollover accidents, head-on collisions, and rear-end collisions tend to have different causes, some things that often contribute to California crashes include:
- Reckless driving
- Inexperienced drivers
- Being under the influence of alcohol
- Drug-related driving
- Distracted driving
- Hazardous road conditions
Even if you were involved in a hit-and-run accident, our experienced team can help you get the compensation you’re entitled to. Schedule a free consultation today and enlist our excellent service after being involved in a motor vehicle collision.
What to Do if You’re a Passenger Hurt in a Car Crash
Doing as many of these steps as you’re physically able to after being injured in a car crash can help set you up to get maximum compensation.
If you need to get prompt medical attention and aren’t able to take photos or get the contact information from the drivers involved, a Los Angeles passenger injury car accident lawyer will gather evidence and insurance information while you recover from your injuries.
Get the Insurance and Contact Information of All Drivers Involved
Getting the contact information and insurance company information for all drivers involved in the accident helps speed up the process of determining who is liable for the wreck and getting you compensation.
Collect Evidence
If you can, take pictures or videos of the accident scene, road conditions, your injuries, and anything else you think might be helpful. While we can get some evidence later, photos taken at the time of the accident can prove crucial for recovering the money you deserve.
Seek Medical Attention
Even if you feel OK immediately after the accident, you should get medical care as soon as you can. This is for two reasons:
- Adrenaline coursing through your system after the accident can mask the pain from potentially serious hidden injuries like internal bleeding, organ damage, or whiplash.
- Medical records help prove both that you were injured and that your injuries were the result of the accident. Waiting too long to get medical care muddies the waters, and your word isn’t as valuable as medical records to prove pain and suffering.
Contact an Experienced Lawyer
Even for drivers, getting compensation for injuries after an accident can be complicated, and being a passenger in a wreck can make things even harder.
Contact a passenger injury attorney as soon as you can after the accident so we can help you get fair compensation while you focus on healing from your injuries.
Contact a Los Angeles Passenger Injury Car Accident Lawyer
For a Los Angeles passenger injury car accident lawyer who genuinely cares about your future well-being and recovery, look no further than Omega Law Group.
Although we take a stern and tenacious approach when dealing with insurance companies, you will find that we are compassionate and attentive whenever we help and communicate with you.
This balance in our practice has helped us achieve amazing things for countless clients in the past. Let’s see if we can add your case to our long list of successes. Contact us today for a free consultation.
