Entries categorized as ‘Passengers’
This is a common question for many car accident victims. The answer, in West Virginia anyways, is yes – if the driver was negligent. The driver of the car owes a duty to any passengers in the vehicle, a duty not to drive negligently or recklessly. If the driver breaches that duty and ends up crashing the vehicle, either in a single vehicle accident or with another car, then he or she is liable to any passengers, as well as occupants of the other vehicle. This means that the driver’s insurance will be liable for any personal injuries sustained up to the policy limits.
There are other issue however, that need to be examined thoroughly by a West Virginia car accident attorney, such as: are there any other insurance polices that could provide coverage, such as the passenger’s vehicle insurance or underinsured driver’s coverage? Another concern is that if there have been several people injured, there may be insufficient coverage for all of the injured persons. Each situation must be examined individually and will bring unique issues, all of which should be quickly addressed by a West Virginia car accident lawyer.
– John H. Bryan, West Virginia Car Accident Attorney.
Categories: FAQ's · Fault · Multi-vehicle Accidents · Multiple Occupants · Negligence · Passengers · Preserving Your Rights
from the Register-Herald today:
On April 29, a man had just dropped off one of his children at Beckley Elementary School and was traveling south on Eisenhower Drive (U.S. 19) when the driver of a pickup truck lost control, entered the center lane and struck the man’s Jeep.
The Jeep was pushed into the northbound lane and collided with a third vehicle head-on. After the head-on collision, the Jeep left the roadway, crashed through a fence and came to rest on the property at 503 Eisenhower.
A witness said he saw the Jeep cross Wilkes Road, smash through a fence and travel through the yard of a home, accelerating at a high speed, and that when it came to rest, the wheels were still spinning.
Fortunately, a guardrail stopped the vehicle from going into a nearby creek. Guardrails can be either a blessing or a curse depending on the particular circumstances. In this case they were apparently a blessing, as there were two young girls in the vehicle and the driver was left unconscious.
Read the full article here.
– John H. Bryan, West Virginia Car Accident Attorney.
Categories: Car Accidents · Children · DMV · Eyewitness Testimony · Multi-vehicle Accidents · Multiple Occupants · Passengers
Can a passenger recover damages for accident injuries caused by the driver in the State of West Virginia?
Yes, in West Virginia, if the driver of the vehicle is guilty of ordinary negligence, then passengers in the vehicle can recover damages from the insurance policy covering the vehicle. It is important to note however, that in situations where alcohol is involved, the passenger may be guilty of comparative negligence in causing his or her own injuries by getting into the car in the first place if there is a resulting alcohol-related car wreck. Additionally, passengers can be liable to other victims of the car wreck under certain circumstances if they allowed or encouraged the driver to drive impaired. See my earlier posts regarding alcohol and passengers.
– John H. Bryan, West Virginia Car Accident Attorney.
Categories: Alcohol/Drugs · FAQ's · Fault · Passengers
