Passengers in Vehicles who are injured in an Auto Accident

Passengers riding in a vehicle are as vulnerable to injuries as the driver of vehicles in an accident. Every year thousands of accidents involving all kinds of motor vehicles take place in Texas and a large number of the injured are passengers (see statistics here). The injuries they sustain include cuts and bruises, fractured and/or broken bones, and internal injuries and damages, soft tissue injuries, and sadly death. However, many injured passengers fail to make a claim because they are either unaware of the law or do not wish to put the driver in a difficult situation, since it usually happens to be a family member or a friend.

What damages are passengers in vehicles entitled to?

Texas law permits you to seek a personal injury compensation claim if you are injured as a passenger in an auto accident. Depending on the type and severity of your injuries, you may be entitled to receive compensation for medical expenses, disfigurement, impairment, loss of income (past and future), pain and suffering, punitive damages and other losses.

Any compensation will be paid from the at fault driver’s liability coverage.  Even if the driver happens to be a relative or friend, you will still be entitled to compensation from their liability coverage and PIP coverage.   Even if your driver had no insurance, your own PERSONAL Uninsured Motorist Coverage on your own vehicle (not the one you were in at the time of the accident) will kick in as well.  As you can see, it gets quite convoluted, so it is wise to seek legal guidance.

What to do if you are injured as a passenger in an accident?

If you are injured in a road accident in Texas when traveling in a vehicle as a passenger, you should immediately call Funk & Associates for legal assistance. We are an Austin-based law firm with many years of experience in successfully representing victims of auto accidents.