PASSENGER INJURY CLAIMS IN A PROVO, UTAH CAR ACCIDENT
As a passenger in a Utah car accident you have a right to recover for your injuries against the driver of your car, or the other cars involved in the collision.
It makes no difference that you were just a passenger if you incurred injuries from the Utah car accident.
Examples of Passengers Claims in Provo, Utah.
Provo Canyon Drive. The family took a drive up Provo Canyon and were involved in a one car rollover. Dad was driving. Mother was in the front seat and the three kids were in the backseats. Dad the driver was at-fault for the one call rollover and can not recover for his injuries because he caused them. Each of the passengers will have claims against their dad’s insurance company, including the mother who is likely the policy holder in addition to father. Utah state minimum car insurance for liability is $25,000 per person, up to $65, 000 per occurrence. Meaning regardless of how many people are hurt in this car accident, Dad’s insurance company will only pay up to a maximum of $65, 000 for all people injured from the car accident.
Provo State Street Intersection Collision. You and your work buddy are driving straight on Provo State Street, through an intersection. You are impacted by a left-hand turner. The left-hand turning driver is mostly at-fault, but your buddy who was driving bears some fault for the collision. You would have two claims. One against the left-hand turning car and one against your buddy’s insurance company. The vast majority of settlement funds would come from the left-hand turner’s car insurance, but some may also come from your buddy’s car insurance.
HOW TO MAKE AN INJURY CLAIM AS A PASSENGER IN THE CAR?
You will need to hire a Provo, Utah car accident passenger claims attorney to help you. Your car accident lawyer will call the insurance company for the car you were riding in and set up a claim. Additionally, your injury attorney will contact any other car involved in the car accident.
Example. One Car Rollover. If you were the passenger in a one car rollover, your passenger injury attorney will contact the driver’s insurance company set up a claim on your behalf.
Example. Intersection Car Accident. When two or more cars are involved in a Utah car accident, your injury attorney will set up an insurance claim with each car involved. The injury attorney will write a “letter of representation” to each car’s insurance company, asking for the policy limits information.
CAN A PASSENGER BEAR ANY FAULT IN A UTAH CAR ACCIDENT?
No. Not very often can a passengers bear any fault in a car accident where fault would be attributed to them which reduces their recovery. One Utah case discusses a passenger grabbing the wheel of a car, causing it to crash. Possible when intoxicated passenger purposefully and intentionally enter vehicles where drunk people are driving the car, there could be an apportionment of fault issue.
Most of the time passengers bear zero fault.
HOW LONG AFTER THE CAR ACCIDENT CAN YOU MAKE A PASSENGER INJURY CLAIM?
Passenger statute of limitations are nearly identical to people making claims for money damages when hurt while driving the car. Meaning you have the same timelines to make a claim as you would if you were the driver.
PASSENGER CLAIMS IN A “HIT & RUN.”
If you were hurt in a car accident when the at-fault driver didn’t’ have car insurance, you can still make an uninsured motorist claim. When the car that hurt you didn’t have insurance, the primary uninsured motorist carrier coverage will be the car that you are riding in. Potentially if you exhaust that car’s uninsured motorist coverages, you might be able to make a secondary uninsured motorist claim, if you have any, against your on car insurance policy.