Can A Passenger Ever Be Held Liable for A Car Accident?
Can a passenger ever be held liable for a car accident? Min Austria Assistant at Ascent Law LLC Under the law, a passenger who is injured in an auto accident may be able to recover compensation from the driver or owner of a vehicle, as well as from any other responsible parties. So, can a passenger ever be held liable for an accident? In most cases, no. However, there are situations in which a passenger can be found to have contributed to the cause of the accident. This usually occurs when the passenger's actions or inactions caused or contributed to the severity of injuries suffered by him/herself or others. Examples include passengers who: *assist with driving, such as when they hold maps, adjust mirrors/seatbelts, etc. *are intoxicated and act as distractions to the driver *jump out of moving vehicles *refuse to use safety restraints *use handheld devices while driving In each case above, a passenger could be potentially liable for contributing to the cause of an accident and/or...