RESULTS.   We have successfully recovered more than $100,000,000.

How do you compensate injured passengers in your vehicle?

On Behalf of | Oct 17, 2022 | Auto Accidents

When discussing car crashes, fault is often the primary concern. The driver who caused the crash is the one whose insurance covers the costs. However, crashes can easily affect more than just the drivers in the two vehicles. There could be passengers who also get hurt, and they may not be members of your immediate family who benefit from the same insurance coverage as you.

Whether you carpool with your co-workers or alternate driving responsibilities with other parents with children in the same youth soccer league as yours, there could be passengers in your vehicle who get hurt after a crash. Broken bones, head injuries and other medical issues could affect their work and lead to major expenses.

Their injuries could be a serious concern for you and could lead to significant financial losses. Does insurance help the passengers in your vehicle?

When you are at fault

Your liability insurance protects anyone harmed by a crash that you cause, including the occupants of your own vehicle. You may have the insurance coverage required by Alabama state law.

That insurance may pay for $25,000 in property damage costs and can help cover medical losses and lost wages as well. If the only person hurt was the passenger in your vehicle, a basic policy compliant with state law may provide $25,000 worth of medical coverage and wage replacement. When two or more people get hurt, the minimum coverage increases to $50,000.

If you are a rideshare driver or otherwise using your vehicle for professional purposes, you may need special insurance for your policy to apply to the passengers in your vehicle while you work.

What if the other driver is at fault?

If the other driver caused the crash, then their policy should pay for your losses and any medical expenses incurred by your passengers. You may need to provide insurance information to your passengers, especially if they may need your coverage because the other driver doesn’t have insurance. In a scenario involving an uninsured motorist, there could potentially be protection for your passengers from their own insurance coverage as well.

Making sense of what insurance covers following an Alabama car crash will help you better support any passengers in your vehicle that suffered injuries.