Passenger in Car Accident in St. Pete and Pinellas Park

Passenger in Car Accident

Learn more if you were injured in a rideshare accident.

If you were the passenger in a car accident, you have a few options for filing a claim for your injuries. 

• The driver of the vehicle in which you were riding and the driver’s insurance company. It does not matter whether the driver caused the accident. If the driver did not own the car, you could also file a claim against the vehicle owner. The driver’s PIP insurance covers you regardless of who caused the accident.
• The other driver involved in the accident and the driver’s insurance company.
• Your own auto insurance company, if you own a vehicle. If you have auto insurance, you can file a claim for PIP benefits, but you must get medical treatment within 14 days after the accident.

You may file claims against multiple people or multiple insurance policies. If one driver’s insurance does not fully compensate you, the other driver’s insurance may cover your remaining expenses. For instance, if you have $20,000 in medical expenses and one driver has only the minimum $10,000 bodily injury insurance, the other driver’s insurance might cover your remaining costs.

If neither driver disclosed your information, you may have to notify the insurance company yourself. Remember the 14-day rule. If you are injured in a traffic crash in Florida, and if you do not seek medical treatment within fourteen days, your auto insurer will not be required by law to reimburse you.

If you have auto insurance, you may have purchased extra insurance called Uninsured Motorist (UM) Coverage or Underinsured Motorist (UIM) Coverage. UM protects you when the driver who caused the accident does not have auto insurance, while UIM covers you when the driver does not have enough insurance to cover your accident-related expenses.

The claims process for a passenger in a car accident can become very complex due to the multiple policies and drivers who may be at fault. An experienced personal injury attorney can handle the claims for you and determine the best path to take for your recovery and compensation. The attorneys of Oldham & Delcamp routinely handle these claims and are prepared to take action for you.