Are You Covered as a Passenger in an Auto Accident?

Driving a vehicle is scary enough as you realize that you are responsible for your life as you navigate your way through the roadways. What is even more of a scary proposition is when you are a passenger in someone else's vehicle and you are in an auto accident. People who are not familiar with auto insurance will be terrified at the thought of having to pay all insurance bills on their own, but this is not the case. There are specific rules that have been created in the auto insurance industry to settle when and how a passenger is to be helped when injuries are caused in an accident.

Here are a few scenarios where a passenger may be injured in an auto accident:

1. You are riding with a friend and the friend runs through a red light and hits another vehicle in the intersection. After the accident you start feeling the pain from your broken ribs and later down the road you are presented with the bill from the hospital. You should take this to your friend as they were the proximate cause of the accident. The party that is at fault should always pay for the damage caused by an accident. Your friend's BIPD (Bodily Injury Property Damage) liability coverage will pay to send you to the doctor.

2. Now let's say you are riding in the same vehicle, but this time the other party runs the red light and hits you and your friend. Again, as the other party is at fault your injuries should be covered by their liability insurance and your friend shouldn't have to pay anything. This makes sense as whoever causes an accident should ultimately be responsible for the fallout.

3. Finally, let's say the same scenario as number two happens and your friend and the other vehicle have no insurance policies that are valid. This presents a problem as they will likely not be able to pay for the bills you are going to receive. In this case your medical coverage or your Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury (UMBI) coverage will kick in and pay for your injuries.

There are obviously a lot of different scenarios that could affect your status as the injured passenger, but this should give a clearer interpretation of insurance law. You should always lean on the party that caused the accident to try to pay for the injuries you suffered as a part of the accident.