PASSENGER INJURED IN CAR ACCIDENT – WHICH INSURANCE PAYS? WHAT ARE MY RIGHTS?
If you were a passenger injured in a car accident, there are complicated insurance issues. Our best car accident lawyers will provide you with a free consultation to explain your rights for your specific situation. However, we went to provide some general information to everyone. One frequent question is which insurance pays compensation to an injured car accident passenger? Especially when the accident was the driver’s fault.
First, in general, your own auto insurance pays the first $20,000 of medical bills and $20,000 of wage loss. It may seem weird that your insurance pays when you were a passenger in someone else’s car. This is called PIP or No-Fault coverage and is required in Minnesota.
If you own your own car or live with a relative who owns a vehicle, that PIP insurance pays your initial medical bills and wage loss in any MN car accident. This applies regardless of who was at fault, and even if you are in someone else’s car. What if you do not own an insured car or live with a relative who does? Then, the PIP coverage will be paid by the insurance for the owner of the vehicle you were riding in.
CAR ACCIDENT PASSENGER COMPENSATION
There may also be additional compensation for the passenger in a car accident. For example, if the medical bills for a car accident exceed the initial $20,000. The additional bills are paid by the insurance for whichever vehicle was at fault in the accident. Of course, in those cases, proving which car was at fault becomes important.
Additional compensation for a car accident passenger can be against the insurance for the driver of the car they were in, or the other vehicle, depending on which car caused the accident. Sometimes both drivers can be partially at fault in a car accident, so the passenger can have a claim against the auto insurance for both.
There are other insurance issues for the passenger in someone else’s car. For example, you may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering. You may also be entitled to underinsured or uninsured compensation. One of our top car accident lawyers will explain these to you in more detail when you call our office. Our lawyers have more than 25 years’ experience. We help people who are injured in car crashes throughout Minnesota.