Maryland car accident claims against friends can be emotionally difficult as well as physically painful. In a typical Maryland car accident case, a plaintiff has many hoops to jump through to recover compensation. A seasoned accident attorney can assist with this claims process, but it is nonetheless tricky. In the standard case, you still have to deal with potentially months of physical therapy, recovery from surgery, and whatever else the medical process throws at you. Moreover, you may be unable to work because of your injuries, causing bills to pile up as you are forced to sit at home because your employer does not want you to risk further injury. This only adds to the stress you are already facing. Additionally, you may be in considerable pain.
If you fracture a bone or suffer any one of the common car accident injuries, you may be unable to take care of yourself. Your range of motion may be limited. You may be unable to perform your favorite hobbies. Car accidents can completely upend our lives depending on the accident’s severity. Now, we have to consider the impact it has on our friends. However, Maryland car accident claims against friends are not as bad as they sound. If you are the passenger in a vehicle owned by your friend, and your friend is at fault in the accident, you have a claim against him for your injuries. This is a fair and just process. Generally, the insurance on the car you are in is considered “primary.”
This means that if you want to make a claim to cover your damages, you must use the insurance on the vehicle you are in. Below, we will discuss crucial considerations to remember and your accident’s emotional and financial implications.
This is the most important thing we tell clients who are nervous about making a claim under their friend’s policy. If your friend caused the accident, their rates are going up regardless of whether you make a claim. When a driver is negligent and causes an accident, you must report it to your insurance. Once they learn of the accident, they are likely to increase your rates. However, whether they do does not depend on whether someone makes a claim under the negligent party’s policy. Accordingly, given that your decision to make a claim under their policy has no bearing on your friend’s rates, there is no harm to your friend. Meanwhile, you still have medical expenses, lost wages, and months of pain and suffering due to your friend’s negligent action.
You should not go uncompensated for this injury. Otherwise, you may be stuck with several thousands of dollars in medical bills for an accident you did not cause. We have had many clients whose friends understood this situation and encouraged the friend to make a claim under their policy. Those clients went on to make significant recoveries for their injuries. Note, as a disclaimer, that past results are not necessarily an indication of future success. Suppose their friends pleaded with the injured client not to make a claim under their policy because they were incorrectly worried that their rates would increase. This could leave the client owing several thousands of dollars to medical providers, emergency medical services, hospitals, and surgeons, and not receive just compensation for their injuries.
The breadth of emotional impacts of Maryland car accident claims against friends can be substantial. Of course, it is reasonable for you, as the passenger and plaintiff, to be upset with your friend. Maybe they were on the phone while driving and caused the accident. Perhaps they were speeding and caused a severe highway accident. However, their negligence causes an accident, and if you are badly injured, it is understandable to be upset. However, it is also important to remember that it was an accident. Moreover, our Maryland car accident lawyers will fight to get you the compensation you deserve because of your injuries. Even if your friend is unwilling to help you out, we will. First, we recommend open communication with your friend. Discuss the accident early on. Ideally, you can have a conversation with your friend before we initiate a claim.
That way, your friend will be aware of the situation. Once you explain the problems you are dealing with and that your claim does not affect their rates, they likely will have no issue. You can explain to them the financial burden you are under and that you cannot handle this process alone. Fortunately, if your friend has insurance coverage, you do not need your friend to do anything. Instead, they need to understand where you are coming from and support you as you need it.
Remembering that your friend may do something similar is also critical to going through. After all, they were in the same car accident as you. Moreover, your friend is liable for all the injuries sustained in the accident. In addition to your injuries, they may be hurt. Your friend may be liable for all their claims if any other drivers, motorists, bicyclists, or pedestrians were involved.
You must explore how Maryland car accident claims against friends affect your finances. For you, as the plaintiff, the financial implications of an insurance claim or lawsuit are ultimately positive. If we do not win your case, there is no fee. Thus, there is no downside to speaking with a Maryland accident attorney. Meanwhile, if we succeed, you may recover all your case is worth. Of course, valuing a case is dependent on countless factors. An additional upside to being a mere passenger in a claim against your friend is you do not have to worry about property damage to any car you own. You may be responsible for a deductible even if you do not cause an accident. Sometimes, your insurer will pursue a subrogation claim and ultimately reimburse you for your deductible.
In other cases, such as an uninsured motorist claim, you could be responsible for half the usual deductible despite not causing the accident. However, you do not have to worry about these details if you do not own the vehicle. Although, you must deal with out-of-pocket expenses if you fail to pursue Maryland car accident claims against friends. Your insurance will not cover you unless your friend does not have insurance. Your insurance will know that you were not driving the car and that you do not own the car. Thus, they understand that the insurance coverage on the car you are in is primary. Accordingly, that coverage is the one that must pay.
Insurance providers are in business to make money. They will only provide coverage if they are required to.
Contact our office to make a Maryland car accident claim against a friend. Through this process, it is essential to remember that your friend is going through a difficult time as you are also navigating your legal process. As experienced Maryland car accident lawyers, we have gone through this process thousands of times. If you believe you have a viable claim, call our attorneys today for a free consultation to learn your options and next steps.
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