Featured News 2013 Commercial Vehicles and Your Rights as a Passenger

Commercial Vehicles and Your Rights as a Passenger

If you are taking a limousine downtown, hiring a party bus to take you to a new club, or commissioning a cab driver to carry you to the airport, then you are putting your life in the driver's hands. You are expecting that driver to display safe and responsible tactics so that you can be sure to get to your destination without any injuries. Therefore, when you are injured in an accident with a commercial vehicle and it is not your fault, you are certainly entitled to compensation.

In these accidents, you will need to prove that you are a passenger in the vehicle and that it was because of the driver's negligence, distracted driving, or another issue that the crash occurred. Even if the crash was not the driver's fault, you may still be able to obtain compensation because you hired the car company and do not deserve to pay for both your car rental and the pain and suffering you experienced in an accident.

When you hire a town car or a limousine to take you around, you are entitled to safe driving. In the event of an accident, limousine drivers are supposed to check the status of all occupants of the vehicle immediately and ensure that they are all injury free. If a person has been harmed in the accident, the limo driver is instructed to call 911 immediately as well as call local law enforcement and alert them of the accident or collision.

All limousine drivers are required to have a charged cell phone on hand to make these calls. If your driver does not have a means to communicate with law enforcement, this could be a factor which would bring weight to a lawsuit. As well, the driver is supposed to asses both the damage to the town car and the damage to other vehicles that were involved in the accident. As a passenger, you have the right to take photos of the damages or even snap photos of the layout of the accident scene or your injuries. All of these factors can help you as you determine whether or not to seek compensation against the driver.

Take note of whether or not your driver exchanged information with other cars involved. This is the legal procedure that all drivers are supposed to adhere to, so if you did not observe this exchange between drivers your case may be considered a hit-and-run. Also, the driver is required to file an accident report about the crash. You can then use this information for your own personal suit because it will be filed with the city or county. Pulling up the official accident report will help to show the courts the driver's involvement with the case and whether or not the police have attributed fault to that particular party.

You can also report the accident and call your insurance company immediately after visiting the hospital if you have any injuries that you will need to report. If possible, you may want to get statements from witnesses and exchange contact information with them at the time of the accident. This can also help you if you decide to litigate against the driver or car company that facilitated the accident. Also, if you were in a car accident with a hired driver and he did not have jumper cables or a first aid kit in the car when those items were necessary, this may be a legitimate reason to seek compensation. If you want more information about how to litigate against hired drivers, talk to a local car accident attorney. Each state regulates these situations differently, so you hire someone local to help you work through the case!

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