blog home Auto Accidents Tips for Injured Passengers Whose Friend Caused the Accident

Tips for Injured Passengers Whose Friend Caused the Accident

By Grant Law Office on May 15, 2024

When you’re involved in a car accident and the driver is a friend, establishing fault in a passenger injury case involves the same legal principles as when the driver is a stranger. Unfortunately, your personal feelings can complicate the process. It’s important to remember that pursuing a claim is not about personal blame — it’s about accessing insurance coverage for your injuries.

Your friend’s insurance policy is designed to cover damages resulting from an accident when they were the driver. It’s essential to approach this situation with sensitivity, but your health and financial well-being are priorities that may require you to take certain legal actions.

The good news is that allowing your car accident attorney to handle the negotiations with your friend’s insurance company can help protect your relationship.

What to Do After a Car Accident When Your Friend Was Driving

If you’ve suffered injuries due to an accident where a friend was driving, you’ll want to take the following steps:

1. Call 911.
2. Seek medical attention.
3. Get a copy of the police report.
4. Take pictures of the vehicle damage and the accident scene, or ask someone to do it for you if you require immediate medical treatment.
5. Keep records for all medical treatments and related expenses.
6. Call Grant Law Office at (404) 995-3955.

Protecting Your Health and Your Friendship

Drivers in Georgia have a legal obligation to protect the safety of their passengers. This duty of care means that drivers must operate their vehicles in a reasonably safe manner, comply with traffic laws, and take appropriate actions to avoid accidents. If a driver fails to uphold this responsibility and a passenger is injured as a result, the driver may be held liable for the passenger’s injuries. This is true regardless of whether the driver is a friend or stranger.

Pursuing an Atlanta passenger injury claim when the driver is a friend can put a strain on personal relationships. It’s often a delicate situation that involves balancing the need for compensation with the desire to maintain your friendship. When speaking with your friend, you’ll want to emphasize that the claim is not a personal attack. Insurance is meant to cover necessary expenses, and seeking compensation is a legal process to address the financial burdens caused by the accident.

Enlisting the support of a skilled passenger injury attorney can take the pressure off both parties and help protect your friendship. Your attorney can negotiate with the insurance company, allowing you to focus on recovering from your injuries and maintaining personal relationships.

How an Atlanta Car Accident Lawyer Can Help

After an accident occurs, the burden of proof lies with the injured party to show that the driver’s negligence directly led to their injuries. According to Georgia’s comparative negligence laws, more than one party may be liable for your injuries. It’s your attorney’s job to investigate the accident and file a claim against anyone whose negligence contributed to your injuries.

Negligence is a key factor in establishing fault in passenger injury cases. This means that if a friend is driving and causes an accident where you are injured, they may be held liable for your medical expenses, lost wages, and other related costs. A driver may be found negligent for various reasons, such as being distracted, driving under the influence, or breaking traffic laws.

Dealing with insurance companies after an accident can be challenging because insurance adjusters are primarily concerned with minimizing payouts for their company. It’s never a good idea to sign an agreement with an insurance agent or provide them with a recorded statement about the accident, as these can be used to limit your compensation.

Allow your car accident lawyer to do all the negotiating with the insurance company. It’s common for insurance companies to offer a quick settlement, but these initial offers may not fully cover all your medical expenses and other damages.

Negotiating with insurers requires knowledge of the law and the ability to calculate the true value of your claim, including future medical costs and other long-term effects of your injuries. An experienced attorney can be an invaluable asset when dealing with insurance companies by helping to make sure you receive fair compensation.

Our Atlanta Car Accident Attorneys Have Won Our Clients Millions

The outstanding trial lawyers at Grant Law Office are committed to getting justice for accident victims. If you were harmed in any type of motor vehicle accident, Grant Law Office can file a claim or lawsuit seeking damages against anyone whose negligent behavior contributed to your injuries.

Our partner, Wayne Grant, is proud to be in the top 5% of attorneys in Georgia, as chosen by his peers through independent research conducted by Super Lawyers, and he has also been selected as one of The Best Lawyers in America 2024 for Personal Injury Litigation by Best Lawyers.

Reach out to our car accident attorneys in Atlanta — call (404) 995-3955 to schedule a free case review today.