As a passenger in a motor vehicle, you may put a lot of trust in a driver to safely transport you from point A to point B. Unfortunately, there may have been circumstances beyond the control of anyone in your motor vehicle that may ultimately lead to your involvement in a car accident. And with the injuries and damages you may have incurred as a direct result, you may be unsure how to seek recovery and from whom. Continue reading to learn whether you can receive financial compensation as a passenger and how an experienced St. Mary’s County car accident lawyer at The Dorsey Law Firm can help you receive what you need to recuperate fully.
Can I receive financial compensation as a passenger in a car accident?
Firstly, in the state of Maryland, all insured motorists are required to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. This coverage is supposed to cover a portion of the policyholder’s medical bills and any other expenses immediately incurred after a car accident.
Namely, this is a form of no-fault coverage, meaning that it applies regardless of whether the policyholder is partially to blame for the incident. Also worth mentioning, PIP benefits are set to cover the passengers that a policyholder had in their vehicle at the time of the accident; this is along with a policyholder’s family, the driver(s) and passenger(s) in the other vehicle(s), and pedestrians.
This is all to say that you may seek immediate relief through a driver’s PIP benefits. However, this may not be enough to cover the full extent of your injuries and damages. Meaning, you may have to make insurance claims against all the drivers directly involved in your accident. And if this still is not enough, then you may have to initiate a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent driver(s).
Can I receive compensation as a passenger in an Uber/Lyft accident?
If you were the passenger in an Uber or Lyft at the time of your accident, then you may need to take a different approach when it comes to seeking financial compensation. That is, these rideshare companies carry their own type of insurance coverage system. There are essentially four levels of compensation, and they read as follows:
- Period 0: when the driver has not yet logged into the rideshare app.
- No liability coverage is provided.
- Period 1: when the driver has logged into the app but has not yet accepted a ride.
- $50,000 per person injured.
- $100,000 injury liability per accident.
- $25,000 property damage liability per accident.
- Period 2: when the driver has accepted a ride but has yet to pick up the passenger.
- $1 million liability coverage.
- Period 3: when the driver has a passenger in their vehicle.
- $1 million liability coverage.
- Limited property damage coverage.
- Limited uninsured motorists’ coverage.
At the end of the day, filing a claim requires a skilled St. Mary’s County auto accident lawyer in your corner. So please get in touch with us at The Dorsey Law Firm today.
