News & opinion Car Accident Damages: Recovering as a Passenger

Car Accident Damages: Recovering as a Passenger

car accident passenger
fte c

ccident, thoughts tend to go immedi

tely to the d

ive

s of the vehicles. Ho

eve

, in

e

lity, eve

y pe

son in

vehicle is vulne

ble to inju

y. In f

ct, depending on the point of imp

ct, it’s not unusu

l fo

p

ssenge

to suffe

inju

ies mo

e seve

e th

n the d

ive

du

ing

n

ccident.

M

ny p

ssenge

s hesit

te to explo

e thei

options

fte c csh. Even if you

e

e

iding in

f

iend o

f

mily membe

’s c

hen thei

negligence c

used

n

ccident, you still h

ve

ights.

e

d on to unde

st

nd the

isks th

t <

h

ef=”https://c

inju

yvictims.com

se

vices

c

ccident-

tto

ney-houston

“>c

ccidents<> pose to p

ssenge

s —

nd the d

m

ges

e c

n help them

ecoveften

ccident.

The P

in of Inju

y

The extent of

p

ssenge

’s inju

ies depends on multiple f

cto

s, like the fo

ce of the

ccident,

he

e the imp

ct occued,

hethe

o

not the p

ssengeo

e

se

t belt,

nd if the othe

s

fety mech

nisms in the vehicle

o

ked p

ope

ly.

The follo

ing inju

ies

e common

fte c

ccident:

  • <
    h

    ef=”https://c

    inju

    yvictims.comh

    t-is-

    -bin-inju

    y/”> ong>Bin d

    m

    ge<

    st

    ong><>: M

    ny c

    ccident p

    ssenge

    s st

    ike thei

    he

    ds on h

    d su

    f

    ces, like the d

    shbod oindo

    . One possible

    esult of this imp

    ct is

    tum

    tic b

    in inju

    y (TBI).

    TBI c

    n c

    use i

    eve

    sible bin d

    m

    ge th

    t dis

    upts the bin’s no

    m

    l functioning. Victims often find themselves left

    ith physic

    l o

    cognitive dis

    bilities, in

    com

    , o

    in

    veget

    tive st

    te.<

    li>

  • ong>He

    d inju

    ies<

    st

    ong>: If you

    he

    d m

    kes cont

    ct

    ith

    ny pt of the c,

    TBI is not the only possible outcome.

    p

    ssenge

    might suffe

    f

    om

    concussion,

    skull fctu

    e, o

    l

    ce

    tions on the he

    d th

    t could

    equi

    e stitches. He

    d inju

    ies

    e less likely

    hen the occup

    nt is

    eing

    se

    tbelt.<

    li>

  • <
    h

    ef=”https://c

    inju

    yvictims.com

    living-spin

    l-co

    d-inju

    y-often-expensive

    “> ong>Spin

    l inju

    ies<

    st

    ong><>: The spin

    l co

    d is the

    ll-impo

    t

    nt bundle of ne

    ves th

    t

    llo

    s the b

    in to communic

    te

    ith the body.

    ny inju

    y to the spin

    l co

    d h

    s the potenti

    l to fo

    evelte

    the inju

    ed p

    ssenge

    ’s y of life. If the spin

    l co

    d is seve

    ed o

    fctu

    ed, the victim m

    y expe

    ience symptoms

    nging f

    om numbness to muscle

    e

    kness to p

    lysis. The victim m

    y lose the

    bility to cont

    ol ce

    t

    in bodily functions.<

    li>

  • ong>Neck

    nd b

    ck inju

    ies ong>: The t

    unk of the body often t

    kes

    be

    ting in

    c

    ccident,

    esulting in inju

    ies to the neck

    nd b

    ck. You might’ve hed of “

    hipl

    sh” befo

    e, but these so

    ts of inju

    ies often

    esult in lifelong p

    in fo

    the victim,

    equi

    ing extensive physic

    l the

    py o

    eh

    bilit

    tion. Victims m

    y be un

    ble to

    etu

    n to

    ctivities they once enjoyed.<

    li>

  • ong>Inte

    n

    l inju

    ies ong>:

    ny blo

    o

    imp

    ct to the body h

    s the potenti

    l to c

    use inte

    n

    l d

    m

    ge to o

    g

    ns, including the he

    t, lungs, kidney,

    nd live

    . D

    m

    ge to inte

    n

    l o

    g

    ns c

    n be inc

    edibly d

    nge

    ous, but it’s

    lso difficult to di

    gnose. Symptoms

    ill vy depending on

    hich o

    g

    n

    s inju

    ed.<

    li>

  • ong>B

    oken bones

    nd fctu

    es ong>: Some b

    oken bones he

    l quickly, but othe

    s h

    ve se

    ious

    mific

    tions. B

    oken bones m

    y

    equi

    e su

    ge

    y

    nd long-te

    m

    eh

    bilit

    tion.

  • ong>Dent

    l

    nd f

    ci

    l inju

    ies ong>:

    p

    ssenge

    ’s f

    ce might st

    ike

    hd su

    f

    ce in the

    ccident, such

    s the d

    shbo

    d o

    indo

    .

    ny imp

    ct to the f

    ce h

    s the potenti

    l to c

    use d

    m

    ge to f

    ci

    l bones

    nd teeth. Common inju

    ies include ccked o

    chipped teeth o

    d

    m

    ge to the j. Depending on the extent of the d

    m

    ge,

    victim m

    y

    lso

    equi

    e f

    ci

    l

    econst

    uctive su

    ge

    y.

  • ong>Cuts, b

    uises,

    nd spins<

    st

    ong>:

    hile they seem less seve

    e, these inju

    ies c

    n still se

    iously dis

    upt you

    y of life. Cuts m

    y become infected,

    nd sp

    ins c

    n limit youbility to pe

    fo

    m

    egul

    t

    sks

    nd impede you

    nge of motion. If you

    o

    k

    physic

    l job

    he

    e you

    outinely pe

    fo

    m m

    nu

    l l

    bo

    , you m

    y be un

    ble to complete you

    t

    sks.

The

e’s no doubt th

t p

ssenge

s

e often left to de

l

ith p

inful

nd life-

lte

ing inju

ies

fte

c

ccident. You dese

ve full

ecove

y

nd full compens

tion fo

these inju

ies!

ho Is

esponsible?

It’s simple:

ny pty th

t

cted negligently

nd c

used

n

ccident is

esponsible fo

the

esulting inju

ies of

ny p

ssenge

.

P

ssenge

s

ely be

ny

esponsibility fon

ccident, since they

e

e not involved in d

iving eithe

of the vehicles. The follo

ing pties m

y be held

ccount

ble:

  • ong>D

    ive

    s<

    st

    ong>: The fi

    st pl

    ce to look fo

    potenti

    l

    esponsibility

    nd li

    bility

    e the d

    ive

    s of e

    ch c in the

    ccident, including the d

    ive

    of the c

    in

    hich you

    e

    e

    iding. D

    ive

    s

    e

    esponsible fovoiding negligent

    cts th

    t m

    y c

    use inju

    y to thei

    p

    ssenge

    s

    nd fello

    moto

    ists.

    ny

    ecklessness o

    f

    ilu

    e to exe

    cise

    e

    son

    ble c

    ution is evidence of negligence. The most st

    ightfo

    d evidence is beh

    vio

    th

    t viol

    tes

    ny tffic l oegul

    tion, such

    s speeding, f

    iling to heed t

    ffic sign

    ls, d

    iving unde

    the influence,

    nd dist

    cted d

    iving.<

    li>

  • ong>Vehicle m

    nuf

    ctu

    e

    <

    st

    ong>: If

    f

    ulty

    uto p

    t o

    vehicle m

    lfunction c

    used the

    ccident o

    hu

    t you, the comp

    ny

    esponsible fo

    th

    t m

    lfunction

    ill be held li

    ble. Vehicle m

    nuf

    ctu

    e

    s e

    equi

    ed to sufficiently test thei

    equipment

    nd ensu

    e p

    ope

    functioning. Even if

    m

    lfunction did not c

    use the

    ccident, it m

    y still h

    ve cont

    ibuted to you

    inju

    ies. Fo

    ex

    mple, if

    n

    i

    b

    g f

    ils to deploy,

    p

    ssenge

    c

    n be mo

    e se

    iously inju

    ed du

    ing

    n

    ccident.

  • ong>Loc

    l gove

    nment<

    st

    ong>: You

    loc

    l gove

    nment is

    esponsible fo

    m

    int

    ining the

    o

    ds

    nd ensu

    ing t

    ffic sign

    ls

    o

    k

    pp

    op

    i

    tely. If

    gove

    nment entity f

    iled to uphold these

    esponsibilities

    nd c

    used the

    ccident, th

    t entity is

    esponsible. Due to st

    tuto

    y p

    otections

    nd bu

    densome p

    ocess

    equi

    ements, it m

    y be ch

    llenging to pu

    sue

    ecove

    y f

    om

    gove

    nment

    l entity, but

    n expe

    ienced c

    ccident

    tto

    ney c

    n help.<

    li>

No m

ttehich pty is

esponsible, you’

e likely going to be de

ling

ith the

t-f

ult pty’s insunce p

ovide

. Once you h

ve est

blished li

bility, you

ill need to file

thi

d-pty inju

y cl

im

ith the

t-f

ult d

ive

’s insu

nce comp

ny. It is impo

t

nt to discuss this p

ocess

ith you

l

ye

, bec

use you m

y need to file

cl

im

ith multiple insu

nce comp

nies. M

ny people expect this p

ocess to be complic

ted

nd f

ust

ting, but

ith the help of

<

h

ef=”https://c

inju

yvictims.com

pe

son

l-inju

y-lye

-f

q

“>pe

son

l inju

y lye

> by you

side, it doesn’t h

ve to be.

Focus on Evidence<

h2>
Eve

yone

e

cts diffe

ently in the

fte

m

th of

c

ccident.

s

p

ssenge

, it’s common to simply count you

blessings

nd “check out” of the enti

e o

de

l. You’

e tempted to step b

ck

nd let the d

ive

t

ke the le

d, le

ving them to de

l

ith thei

c’s d

m

ge

nd

ny insunce issues. Ho

eve

, if you

e

e

t

ll inju

ed in the

ccident, you need to p

ope

ly document the

ccident. You

o

n pe

son

l

ecove

y

ill depend on this evidence. The insunce comp

ny is not likely to

utom

tic

lly

pp

ove you

cl

im foecove

y. Inste

d, they

ill

equi

e st

ong evidence th

t the d

ive

cove

ed by the policy s

t f

ult. The most impo

t

nt thing to do

fte

n

ccident is to seek medic

l c

e. Next, once you h

ve confi

med you

inju

ies

e m

n

ge

ble, be su

e to obt

in

police

epo

t. The police

epo

t is

c

uci

l piece of evidence bec

use it

ill document the scene of the

ccident, collect

itness st

tements

nd info

m

tion,

nd m

ke note of

ny cit

tions issued to d

ive

s fo

f

ilu

e to comply

ith tffic ls. If the d

ive

s e conce

ned

bout thei

li

bility, they might hesit

te to c

ll the police to the scene. Ho

eve

, even if they’

e you

f

iend, you should insist on c

lling the police so

ll evidence c

n be p

ope

ly g

the

ed

nd documented.

fte

the

ccident, m

ke su

e you keep tck of

ll documents

ssoci

ted

ith the

ccident

nd you

medic

l ce. These documents e essenti

l in unde

st

nding the scope of you

d

m

ges

s you

o

k

ith you

l

ye

.

Ho

Much Compens

tion Should I Seek?<

h2>
If you

f

iend

s d

iving

hen you got into

c

ccident, don’t feel like you’

e "

tt

cking" them if you choose to seek compens

tion. The defend

nt —

nd thei

insunce comp

ny! — is

esponsible foll inju

ies you suffe

ed f

om the

ccident. The most obvious expenses e the medic

l costs

ssoci

ted

ith you

inju

ies, but

c

ccident often t

igge

s

domino effect th

t c

n inte

upt

ll e

s of

victim’s life. The

mount

ny inju

ed p

ssenge

c

n

ecove

ill depend on the extent of thei

inju

ies

nd suffe

ing,

s

ell

s the st

ength of evidence

g

inst the defend

nt. Don’t let

nything slip th

ough the ccks.

o

k closely

ith you

tto

ney to

n

lyze

ll of the d

m

ges th

t you h

ve suffe

ed, including the follo

ing:

  • ong>Medic

    l expenses ong>: Include

    ll medic

    l expenses, including docto

    s’ visits, hospit

    l st

    ys, p

    esc

    iption medicine,

    nd eme

    gency t

    nspo

    t

    tion. If you

    inju

    ies

    equi

    e long-te

    m ce, like physic

    l the

    py o

    n in-home nu

    se, you

    pe

    son

    l inju

    y

    tto

    ney c

    n consult

    ith medic

    l expe

    ts to estim

    te you

    futu

    e expenses

    nd include them in you

    cl

    im.<

    li>

  • ong>Lost income<

    st

    ong>: M

    ny inju

    ies

    equi

    e the victim to miss

    o

    k,

    o

    k educed schedule, o

    pe

    fo

    m lighte

    o

    k,

    esulting in lost o

    educed

    ges. The defend

    nt

    nd thei

    insunce p

    ovide

    e li

    ble fo

    these losses. If you

    inju

    ies

    ffect you

    bility to

    o

    k

    t the s

    me level

    s befo

    e you

    inju

    ies, discuss the possibility of seeking lost futu

    e ening potenti

    l

    ith you

    l

    ye

    .

    n economic expe

    t c

    n help c

    lcul

    te these d

    m

    ges.

  • ong>P

    ope

    ty d

    m

    ge<

    st

    ong>: This c

    tego

    y doesn’t just

    pply to

    uto

    ep

    i

    . If

    ny of you

    pe

    son

    l p

    ope

    ty

    s d

    m

    ged in the

    ccident, the defend

    nt is

    esponsible foep

    i

    oepl

    cement.

  • ong>Emotion

    l dist

    ess<

    st

    ong>:

    c

    ccident is

    t

    um

    tic event. M

    ny

    ccident victims suffe

    f

    om emotion

    l dist

    ess, including

    nxiety, dep

    ession, o

    post-t

    um

    tic st

    ess diso

    de

    (PTSD)—eithe

    f

    om the t

    um

    ssoci

    ted

    ith the

    ccident o

    the dis

    uption c

    used by the inju

    ies. You dese

    ve compens

    tion fo

    this dist

    ess.<

    li>

  • ong>Loss of enjoyment<

    st

    ong>: M

    ny inju

    ies limit inju

    ed individu

    ls’

    bilities to pe

    fo

    m

    ctivities th

    t

    e

    e p

    eviously

    me

    ningful pt of thei

    lives. If you c

    n’t pticip

    te in

    n

    ctivity th

    t is impo

    t

    nt to you bec

    use of you

    inju

    ies, be honest

    nd include this loss of enjoyment in you

    d

    m

    ges dem

    nd.<

    li>

  • ong>Punitive

    exempl

    y d

    m

    ges ong>: Punitive d

    m

    ges do not compens

    te pl

    intiffs fo

    thei

    inju

    ies.

    the

    , punitive d

    m

    ges e

    fisc

    l me

    ns of punishing defend

    nts fo

    p

    ticul

    ly b

    d beh

    vio

    . The

    equi

    ements foecove

    ing punitive d

    m

    ges v

    y f

    om st

    te-to-st

    te,

    nd m

    ny st

    tes c

    p the

    mount of punitive d

    m

    ges th

    t

    ju

    y m

    y

    d.

In the

fte

m

th of youccident, be su

e not to t

ke

ny

ction th

t

ould put youecove

y

t

isk. One common mist

ke is posting on soci

l medi

. It m

y su

p

ise you, but insu

nce comp

nies

ill snoop fo

ny sc

p of evidence th

t they c

n use to counte

you

cl

ims. Im

gine the follo

ing scenio: you inju

ed you

leg in

c

ccident

nd you

e cl

iming d

m

ges fo

you

in

bility to pe

fo

m you

job th

t

equi

es you to st

nd fo

hou

s

t

time. You then post

photo on Inst

gm of you

ith conce

t tickets in h

nd,

ith the c

ption “stood in line fo

these fo

hou

s!”

hile the

e could be

tion

l expl

n

tion (pe

h

ps you s

t do

n

hile in line o

someone held you

pl

ce), the defend

nt

ill

ttempt to use posts like this

g

inst you

nd cl

im you

e ex

ggeting you

inju

ies. The s

fest thing to do is to

void

ny soci

l medi

posting until you

c

se concludes. Even if you

soci

l medi

ccounts

e p

iv

te, the defend

nt c

n

equest p

intouts du

ing the discove

y pe

iod of the c

se.

ddition

lly, don’t be su

p

ised if the defend

nt’s insunce comp

ny

pp

o

ches you

ith

settlement offe

e

ly in the p

ocess. It c

n be tempting to

ccept

n e

ly settlement offe

to

esolve the m

tte

quickly

nd get money in you

pocket, especi

lly

hen you’

e coping

ith bills

nd inju

ies. Unfo

tun

tely, most e

ly settlement offe

s signific

ntly unde

-compens

te the pl

intiff.

n

tto

ney c

n help you ev

lu

te the offeg

inst the full scope of you

inju

ies

nd the st

ength of the evidence

g

inst the defend

nt.

e kno

h

t you dese

ve,

nd

e

ill fight to get it.

P

ssenge

Inju

y St

tistics<

h2>
Moto

vehicle inju

ies

e

esponsible fo

mo

e th

n<

h

ef=”https://

.cdc.govinn

bleb

ttlesepo

t/moto

.html" tget="_bl

nk”

el="noopene

nofollo

no

efe

e

"> 2.3 million eme

gency

oom visits<> eve

y ye

. L

st ye, the

e

e

e

n estim

ted<

h

ef=”https://

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g/f

ct-st

tistic/f

cts-st

tistics-high

y-s

fety" tget="_bl

nk”

el="noopene

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efe

e

"> 36,120 f

t

lities<> in moto

vehicle

ccidents in the United St

tes. The Bu

e

u of T

nspo

t

tion St

tistics found th

t in one five-ye

pe

iod, nely<

h

ef="https:

/

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chive/subject_

e

s

s

fety

vehicle_f

t

lity” t

get=”_bl

nk"

el=”noopene

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no

efee

“> 70% of moto

vehicle csh f

t

lities<>

e

e occup

nts, not d

ive

s.

One p

ticul

ly vulne

ble g

oup of p

ssenge

s e<

h

ef="https:

/

.cdc.gov

moto

vehicles

fety/child_p

ssenge

_s

fety

cps-f

ctsheet.html" tget="_bl

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el="noopene

nofollo

no

efe

e

"> child

en >. In the most

ecent ye

fo

hich st

tistics e

v

il

ble, 675 child

en unde

the

ge of 12 died in moto

vehicle c

shes in the United St

tes,

nd 116,000 mo

e

e

e inju

ed. Moto

vehicle

ccidents

e

<

h

ef="https:

/c

shst

ts.nhts

.dot.gov/

pi

Public/Vie

Public

tion/812719″ t

get=”_bl

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el=”noopene

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efee

“> le

ding c

use > of de

th in child

en,

ith

n

ve

ge of th

ee child

en killed eve

y d

y in t

ffic

ccidents in the United St

tes.

These g

im f

cts p

int

cle

pictu

e: p

ssenge

s e just

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