What Happens If You’re Injured as a Passenger in an Ohio Car Crash?
When you get into a car crash in Ohio as a passenger in a vehicle, you may have the right to seek financial recovery for injuries you sustained in the accident. However, you have steps to take after getting hurt in a car accident that someone else caused. Knowing what to expect when pursuing compensation as an injured passenger in an Ohio car crash can help you pursue your legal claims as efficiently as possible.
Immediate Steps After the Crash
Some of the first steps you should take as a passenger injured in a motor vehicle crash include:
- Seek prompt medical attention, even if you do not feel hurt or your injuries seem minor; a doctor can examine you to identify serious injuries you may have sustained
- Report the accident to the authorities in case the driver(s) involved in the crash have not done so
- Remember to take photos of the accident scene and note names and contact information for the drivers involved in the accident and any eyewitnesses to the crash.
- Collect license and insurance information from each driver.
Who Could Become Liable?
Various parties may bear liability for a car accident that injured you. Ohio follows a comparative negligence system, which assigns financial responsibility for a person’s injuries and losses in proportion to each liable party’s percentage of fault for causing the accident. Parties who may bear responsibility for the car crash include:
- The driver of your vehicle
- The driver of another vehicle involved in the accident
- The employer of an at-fault driver (if the accident occurred during the driver’s work)
- A vehicle or auto part manufacturer, if an accident occurred due to a mechanical failure caused by a design or manufacturing defect
Insurance companies and juries frequently rely on evidence such as police accident reports to identify the party or parties at fault for a car crash.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim as a Passenger
Injured passengers may have the right to pursue compensation regardless of which driver caused the crash. Although the insurance policy for the driver of your vehicle may have exclusions that preclude you from filing a liability claim against that policy, you can file a liability claim against other at-fault drivers. Your driver’s insurance policy may have other coverages that can provide you with compensation regardless of fault for the accident, such as personal injury protection or MedPay coverage. Your driver’s insurance policy may also have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, which can help provide compensation if an at-fault driver does not have insurance or their policy limits do not provide you with adequate compensation for your losses.
What Compensation Can You Recover?
In a car accident claim, you may have the right to recover compensation for economic and personal losses you sustained due to your injuries. Your financial recovery can include money for:
- Costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation for your injuries
- Costs of long-term care or accommodations required by prolonged or permanent disabilities
- Lost wages or income from missed work
- Lost future earning capacity when you cannot return to work or earn as much as you did before the accident
- Physical pain and anguish from injuries and medical treatments
- Emotional trauma or distress
- Reduced quality of life caused by disabilities or visible scarring/disfigurement
Contact a Car Accident Attorney Today
After getting hurt in a motor vehicle accident while riding in a car, hiring knowledgeable legal counsel can help you maximize your recovery from at-fault parties. Contact Kitrick, Lewis & Staley-Sladek today for a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced car accident attorney to discuss your legal options for seeking financial relief as a passenger injured in a car crash in Ohio.
