When you get hurt while riding as a passenger in a motor vehicle that has an accident in Missouri, you may have the right to pursue financial recovery. Taking prompt action can help you secure the compensation and justice you deserve for your injuries and losses. But what steps should you take when you sustain injuries as a passenger in a Missouri car crash?
Seek Prompt Medical Attention
First, you should seek immediate medical attention after you get into a car accident while riding as a passenger. Even if you do not notice any pain or other symptoms of injury, a medical examination might reveal injuries you sustained in the crash. Documenting your injuries as soon as possible after a car accident can link them to the accident. Furthermore, promptly beginning treatment can help you recover and prevent the at-fault driver or insurance company from claiming that you failed to mitigate your injuries or losses by not seeking treatment as soon as possible.
Remember to follow your doctor’s treatment recommendations and recovery instructions, and to obtain copies of your medical records.
Report the Accident and Gather Evidence
Next, you should ensure that you or another person involved in the accident has reported the crash to law enforcement. If a police officer comes to the accident scene, remember to obtain a copy of the police accident report.
Try to collect evidence at the accident scene if safe for you to do so, including by taking photos or videos of the crash scene and collecting insurance information from the other drivers and contact information from any eyewitnesses.
Identify Liable Parties
You should review the facts and evidence from the accident to identify the drivers or other parties at fault or the other parties who might bear liability for your injuries and losses. The driver of your vehicle or another motorist involved in the crash could have caused the accident due to careless or reckless driving. Alternatively, a defect in one of the vehicles involved in the accident may make the vehicle’s manufacturer liable for the crash. An at-fault driver’s employer may also bear vicarious liability for your injuries and losses if the driver caused the crash while working.
File an Insurance or Personal Injury Claim
Finally, you can file an insurance claim against the policy or policies of the driver/drivers responsible for causing the crash. However, suppose the driver of your vehicle caused the accident, and you live in the same household as the driver. In that case, the driver’s auto policy may have exclusions for liability coverage for members of the driver’s household, making it critical to seek legal advice about your options for seeking compensation.
You may also have a personal injury claim against liable parties. In such a claim, you might recover compensation for financial and personal losses, such as:
- Medical treatment and rehabilitation expenses
- Costs of long-term disability care
- Lost wages/income from missed work
- Lost future earning capacity after becoming disabled from employment
- Physical pain and anguish
- Emotional trauma or distress
- Lost quality of life due to disabilities or disfigurement/scarring
Under Missouri’s statute of limitations for injury claims, you typically have five years to file a lawsuit after getting hurt in a motor vehicle crash as a passenger.
Contact a Missouri Auto Accident Attorney
After getting hurt as a passenger in a Missouri car accident, hiring an experienced attorney can help you protect your rights and interests. Contact Dreyer & Tinney Law Firm today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a personal injury lawyer to discuss your options for compensation for your harm and loss.