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Rights Possessed By Passenger In Automobile Accident July 25, 2018

Anyone that has been injured in an automobile collision has the right to seek compensation from the responsible driver. That rule applies, even if the responsible party happens to be a friend or relative of the passenger with the injury. Yet some passengers hesitate to take advantage of that right.

How a passenger can overcome that hesitancy to go after what he or she deserves?

It helps to understand from whose pocket the money will be coming. It will come from the driver’s insurance company. It will not come from the driver’s checking or savings account. A passenger’s ability to appreciate that one fact helps to do away with his or her hesitancy, regarding the search for a fair compensation.

Steps passengers need to take, when planning to submit a claim and seek a fair compensation

Take the time to learn what information has been included in the police report about the accident of interest to you (the passenger).

Make sure that the same report includes mention of the fact that the driver was carrying passengers, and that you were one of them.

The detailed information on how to complete the third step varies from person to person, depending on whether or not that same individual has some sort of insurance policy. If it is not a car insurance policy, it should be a document that offers proof of access to coverage provided by health or medical insurance. Whatever company sold you that particular policy; that same company needs to hear from you, if you are an injured passenger.

Hopefully, you have visited a medical facility. If you appear to have a rather complex case, you should search out the name of a reputable personal injury lawyer in Red Deer. In that way, you should have better luck with finding an expert witness. By accessing such a witness, you can increase your chances for obtaining fair compensation for your damages.

What to do if the injured passenger is a minor

In that case, a parent or guardian will need to make sure that the minor has received a thorough medical examination. Ideally, a parent or guardian will know something about the minor’s history, and will share that knowledge with the examining and treating physician. It helps if the same parent/guardian receives a list of the symptoms associated with problems such as a concussion or a whiplash associated disorder.

Armed with such a list, a parent/guardian can watch for signs that the injured child or teenager has demonstrated one of more of the listed symptoms. The doctor should mention the observed symptoms in his or her report. Thus the insurance company could not downplay the severity of the damage done to the minor’s young body.