Insurance For Passengers in a New Jersey Car Accident

liability for a passenger injured in a car accident

What your auto insurance covers, and does not cover, is not always clear. You may not learn about the intricacies of your insurance policy until you need to use it. If you are involved in a car accident and you have passengers in the vehicle, you may need to determine who is responsible for their damages. Continue reading to learn more about liability for a passenger injured in a car accident.

What Is Bodily Injury Coverage?

Bodily injury coverage is a type of insurance that covers other driver’s medical costs if you are at fault in an accident. If another driver is at fault for an accident and your passenger’s are injured, they will file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company. In some cases, they may also be able to file a claim with their own insurance provider. If you are at fault for the accident and they are injured in your vehicle, then they may file a claim with your insurance provider.

Determining who is responsible for costs is not always clear. If you have any questions, it can be helpful to turn to your insurance representative. In some cases, pedestrians may also be covered by multiple policies, and determining who is responsible for paying first is not always easy. In the meantime, it can leave the passenger injured, waiting on medical care, and not knowing who to turn to for payment.

Your Options Following an Injury As a Passenger

New Jersey is a no-fault accident state, which means that any injured drivers and passengers will turn to their own insurance carrier in the event of a crash, regardless of who was at-fault.

Important Steps to Take Following an Injury as a Pedestrian

If you are injured as a pedestrian, it is important to take certain steps to protect your legal filing rights:

Receive medical care immediately
Collect the insurance information from all drivers
File a police report
Take photographs if possible

It is always a good idea to file a police report so you have documentation of the accident. You also want to collect copies of all medical records and invoices.

Because fault is not always immediately determined, it is best to collect insurance information from all drivers. This ensures that you have the information of each insurance provider so you can file a claim with the right one later on. It can also be helpful to evaluate your own coverage to ensure that you are covered. If you are injured in someone else’s vehicle and they don’t have enough coverage, you could be left to figure things out yourself. A personal injury lawyer may be able to help you determine who is responsible for your costs as a passenger in an accident.

Contact a Union County Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Passenger Accident Case in New Jersey

Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to a car accident in New Jersey? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Birkhold & Maider, LLC represent clients injured because of a car accident in Essex County, Hudson County, Mercer County, Union County, and throughout New Jersey. Call 973-784-8583 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 189 Franklin Avenue, Suite #1, Nutley, NJ 07110, as well as a satellite office in Hamilton, NJ.

The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.