Auto Accident Attorney: Passenger Rights

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If you're the passenger in an auto accident, your life can be changed instantly. A personal injury attorney can help you seek damages and fight for your legal rights.

Here are some of the ways that an auto accident attorney can help you when you're the passenger in a car accident.

Passenger Perspective

Auto accidents reports focus on the drivers, not the passenger. This tendency, although understandable, can make documenting the event for passengers more difficult. An auto accident attorney can help you construct a narrative that will hold up in court.

1. Legal Deposition: Re-telling the events from your perspective is important. An auto accident attorney can formally depose you, which will involve recording you as you reconstruct the moments leading up to the accident, the accident itself, and the aftermath. Before your deposition, your auto accident attorney can coach you through the process. For instance, they might help you plot out a timeline and ask questions that help you remember the most important details.
2. Your Role: As the passenger, your role in the accident might seem incidental. However, it's important to clarify the decisions you controlled leading up to the accident. Did you choose to wear a seatbelt? Did you make a remark about potentially dangerous driving decisions or conditions? Did you know that the driver was impaired when you consented to ride them? Clarifying these points can be critical when it comes to building your case in court and/or negotiating settlements with insurance providers.

Actualizing Accountability

Auto accidents aren't always the fault of a single driver. A personal injury lawyer can help you seek damages from every individual who bears liability for causing the car accident.

1. Police Reports: As passenger, you're entitled to the police reports detailing the official cause of the accident. These reports often assign fault to the drivers involved in the accident. Your auto accident attorney can seek damages from every driver held at fault for the accident.
2. Suing Your Driver: If the driver of the car you were riding in is found at fault for causing the accident, you might need to sue them. This might mean suing a family member or friend. Your auto accident attorney can negotiate with their insurance provider to help you get a maximum settlement. If a settlement can be reached, the case will never go to court. It is important, however, to not discuss or communicate with anyone involved in an accident while settlements are being negotiated.

For more information, contact an auto accident attorney.

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11 February 2021