If you were a passenger of a vehicle during a car accident, you should have no problem collecting compensation for your injuries if you were hurt. Passengers are not typically held accountable for accidents, and this means that a passenger will be entitled to collect money for injuries in almost any type of car accident case. If you are wondering how this works, here are a few things you should know.

The at-fault driver will pay

In most states, the person held responsible to pay for damages and injuries is the person who is considered the at-fault driver. The at-fault driver is the person who caused the accident to occur, and this could be the person you were riding with or the other car involved in the accident. The person who is at fault will be responsible to pay for the damages and injuries of everyone involved in the accident.

To settle this, you may need to file a claim with the insurance company of the at-fault driver. If this is not enough to settle the case for a reasonable amount, you may be able to sue the driver that was at fault.

The difference between a relative and a friend driver

You should also understand that there are differences in the way you must handle the case if the person you were riding with was a relative compared to if he or she was a friend. If the person driving the car you were in was at fault and was not related to you, you could actually sue this person for your injuries. If the driver was a relative, you cannot sue him or her. You would still be able to file a claim against his or her insurance, but you cannot start a lawsuit against the person.

There is a slight chance you may be at fault

It's important to understand one thing, though. If you were riding in a car with a person that you knew was drunk, you may end up with some problems. Because you knew the person was drinking, you assumed risks when you got in the car. This type of situation may lead to some problems trying to settle the case, and you would want to hire a personal injury lawyer in a situation like this.

Settling any type of car accident case can be difficult, which is why it may be necessary for you to hire a car accident attorney to represent and help you. For more information, contact a business such as Clearfield & Kofsky.