What Happens if You Are Injured in a Car Crash and Your Friend Was Driving?

Car accident lawyer Milwaukee, WI

A car accident lawyer Milwaukee, WI can rely on can tell you that thousands of car accidents happen every single day.  In many of those crashes, there are passengers in the vehicles and those passengers get injured. But what happens when the driver who is an injured passenger’s friend is also the driver who caused the accident? Who will pay the victim’s medical bills, lost wages, and any other damages they sustain because of their injuries?

The good news is that even though you know the driver who caused the accident, you are still entitled to pursue damages in order to cover your losses. A car accident lawyer in Milwaukee, WI can assist you with filing your claim.

When an accident happens, and a passenger sustains injuries, the first step a personal injury attorney will take is to determine who was at fault for the crash. There are several possibilities, including:

1. The driver in the other vehicle could be determined to be liable for the victim’s injuries if they were negligent in their action or behavior and that caused the crash to happen. If this driver was working for a company at the time of the crash (i.e. a delivery truck driver), then the company who employs the driver could also be held liable.
2. The passenger’s friend: If the driver of the vehicle the passenger was in did something that caused the crash, then they would be legally responsible for the damages the victim suffered.
3. Vehicle manufacturer: If the accident happened because of a dangerous or defective vehicle part, then the manufacturer would be liable for the victim’s injuries and losses.

If it is determined that the injured passenger’s friend was responsible for the crash, the victim may be hesitant to pursue damages because they do want to damage their friendship. They may be worried that their friend would not be able to afford to pay them for their losses and this could put a strain on their relationship.

But a car accident lawyer serving Milwaukee, WI can explain that any damages that need to be covered would actually be paid for by the friend’s automobile liability insurance policy. This is exactly why vehicle owners have auto insurance – to protect our financial assets – or lack of – and cover the costs of a victim’s damages should we be responsible for a vehicle accident.

It is possible that the victim’s friend could end up paying higher premiums for future insurance coverage, however, this would likely happen whether the passenger filed a claim because the other vehicle driver could file a claim for any injury or vehicle damage they sustained in the crash.

If you were a passenger in a vehicle and injured in a crash, contact a Milwaukee, WI car accident lawyer to discuss your legal options. Your attorney will handle filing the insurance claim for you. This can be very helpful in these situations. Your attorney can also negotiate a settlement with the insurance company, ensuring that you will receive a fair and full settlement. Oftentimes, if victims do not have strong legal representation, the insurance company will use various underhanded tactics to try to get victims to agree to settlements for much less than what they are entitled to.  When you have a tenacious car accident lawyer Milwaukee, WI trusts, like Hickey & Turim, S.C., representing you in a car accident injury claim, though, you can rest assured that you are getting the compensation you deserve!