Here is a hypothetical situation in which you are injured while driving a friend’s car: You were using your friend’s car to go buy a new battery for your car. You were stopped at a red light for at least 10 seconds while waiting for it to turn green, and suddenly, you were hit so hard from behind that the impact threw the vehicle you were driving into the vehicle in front of you. Now you’re in an ambulance on your way to the closest emergency room, and your friend’s car is totaled. You can hardly move your arms, and everything surrounding you is bright lights and a blur.
As for insurance: every auto insurance company writes its own inclusions and exclusions into its policies. No two auto insurance policies from different companies are alike anymore.
When the driver who hit you was insured
Assuming they were at fault your damages should be insured up to the limits of the liability insurance coverage of the person who hit you. Damages in an accident involving personal injury can include but not be limited to:
- Past and future medical bills
- Past and future lost earnings
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disfigurement
- Permanent disability
What if the person who was at fault was uninsured or underinsured?
Even if your friend had uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, it’s unlikely that you’ll be covered. Most uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance only covers the named insured person under the policy along with any residents of his or her household who are blood relatives.
Medical payments coverage
Most people don’t even know that they have medical payments coverage because it’s usually carried in low amounts, but you might get some help toward your medical bills from this.
The “good news” about all of this is that you were sitting at a red light minding your own business when you got rear-ended. It is highly unlikely that the other insurer will try to claim that you were comparatively negligent.
The insurer of the person who hit you might be contacting you to ask for a written or recorded statement as to the events surrounding the crash. Never give an opposing insurance company a statement. The law doesn’t require you to do so, and in one way or another, that insurer will only try to use it against you. Rather than talking to the opposing insurer, protect your right to compensation, and contact us right away after an accident for a free consultation and case evaluation. We are experienced Spokane car accident lawyers who have recovered millions in compensation for our clients in a variety of situations.
