[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-were-a-passenger-in-a-car-accident\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-were-a-passenger-in-a-car-accident\/","headline":"What To Do If You Were a Passenger in a South Carolina Car Accident","name":"What To Do If You Were a Passenger in a South Carolina Car Accident","description":"When you were injured while a passenger in a car accident, you know you deserve to seek compensation for your damages, as you could not have been at fault for the crash. However, you may not know who you are entitled to bring your claim for compensation against,...","datePublished":"2025-02-17","dateModified":"2026-02-18","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/blog\/author\/jimtucker-user\/#Person","name":"Jim Tucker","url":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/blog\/author\/jimtucker-user\/","identifier":11,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/44083b310c18e164c282b70c2998ed23ca87dafd05103949a9ed48ec14940f87?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/44083b310c18e164c282b70c2998ed23ca87dafd05103949a9ed48ec14940f87?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"McKinney, Tucker & Lemel","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/MTLLaw-logo.png","url":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/MTLLaw-logo.png","width":387,"height":95}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/passenger-injury.png","url":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/passenger-injury.png","height":136,"width":261},"url":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-were-a-passenger-in-a-car-accident\/","video":{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9Qe3vvHbFZQ#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9Qe3vvHbFZQ","name":"Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Cases in South Carolina - McKinney, Tucker & Lemel LLC","description":"For more information, please visit our website.\n\nMcKinney, Tucker & Lemel LLC - Rock Hill Personal Injury Attorneys\n215 Hampton Street\nRock Hill, SC 29730\nPhone: 803-328-1848","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/9Qe3vvHbFZQ\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/9Qe3vvHbFZQ\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/9Qe3vvHbFZQ\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/9Qe3vvHbFZQ\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/9Qe3vvHbFZQ\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2025-02-18T00:38:34+00:00","duration":"PT2M49S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9Qe3vvHbFZQ","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCSJQ_AJ7kCfv43tFOzt2OCA#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCSJQ_AJ7kCfv43tFOzt2OCA","name":"MTL Law","description":"Here at McKinney, Tucker, & Lemel, LLC we are all about people. You are entrusting your lawyer with important and personal details about yourself and your life. You should feel comfortable as you work with your lawyer throughout a case. We respect this relationship and we are ready to be on your side because no one should have to handle a serious legal issue alone. We are here to help with a wide variety of cases including, personal injury, criminal defense, and family law.\n\nWe understand the stress of trying to keep your life on track while handling a serious case. Let us take up the legal burden so you can concentrate on recovering and moving forward. We have been helping the people of York & Lancaster counties since 1977 so you can count on us to have the experience and skill that you need.\n\nWe\u2019re ready to work for you.\n\nMcKinney, Tucker & Lemel LLC\nhttps:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/\n215 Hampton Street\nRock Hill, SC 29730\nPhone: 803-328-1848\n","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/fZ07nD6E0DI9r7Qgz3pwXXUaTWT3568T7H_3_d4P_QDAFhGpvP-h1jXuKIdZu29412BDVm5mu6c=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9Qe3vvHbFZQ#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9Qe3vvHbFZQ#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9Qe3vvHbFZQ&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9Qe3vvHbFZQ#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":26}]]},"about":["Car Accident"],"wordCount":1026,"articleBody":"When you were injured while a passenger in a car accident, you know you deserve to seek compensation for your damages, as you could not have been at fault for the crash. However, you may not know who you are entitled to bring your claim for compensation against, and you might not know all of your options for pursuing the compensation you need.After you\u2019ve been injured while riding as a passenger in a vehicle involved in a car accident, you need an experienced car accident attorney who can help you identify those parties at fault for the accident and explore all available options for claiming financial compensation for your injuries.Contact the Rock Hill car accident lawyers\u00a0at McKinney, Tucker & Lemel, LLC today for an initial case review to discuss the details of your case and to learn more about how our firm can help you pursue a claim for compensation.Who Can a Passenger Bring a Claim Against?A\u00a0passenger injured in a car accident\u00a0may be entitled to bring a claim for compensation against several parties, depending on the circumstances of the accident.Parties that an injured passenger could bring a legal claim against may include:The driver of the passenger\u2019s vehicle,\u00a0when that driver caused the accident \u2013 including multi-vehicle accidents or a single-vehicle accident involving the driver\u2019s and passenger\u2019s vehicleThe driver of another vehicle\u00a0negligently or recklessly collided with the vehicle the passenger was inThe passenger\u2019s own auto insurance policy\u00a0under personal injury protection (PIP) or uninsured\/underinsured motorist (UM\/UIM) coverageOther parties an injured passenger may file a claim against including an employer if the\u00a0at-fault driver\u00a0was driving in the course and scope of their employment at the time of the accident, a governmental agency if the road was defective, or a manufacturer if an automotive defect was to blame.Can an Injured Passenger File a Claim Against the Driver\u2019s Insurance?An injured passenger may be entitled to file a claim against the driver\u2019s insurance, even if involved in a single-vehicle accident.When the driver of your vehicle caused the car accident, you may be entitled to file a claim for compensation against the driver\u2019s insurance policy under the bodily injury liability coverage. There may be limitations on coverage if the passenger is related to and\/or lives in the same household as the driver.Bodily liability injury coverage will provide compensation to an injured passenger for damages such as medical treatment expenses, lost wages\/income and lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering, up to the limits of the bodily injury liability coverage.Can a Passenger File a Claim Against the Other Driver\u2019s Insurance?When\u00a0another driver causes an accident, an injured passenger of the other vehicle may be entitled to seek compensation from that at-fault driver under the bodily injury liability coverage of the other driver\u2019s insurance policy.Can a Passenger Recover UM or UIM Benefits Under Their Own Auto Policy?Under certain circumstances, an injured passenger may also be entitled to seek compensation from their own auto insurance policy.A passenger may file a claim under the personal injury protection\/Medpay coverage of their policy, as PIP\/Medpay is considered a no-fault coverage and, therefore, not dependent on liability. This coverage can provide compensation for medical treatments. Some PIP\/Medpay coverages also provide compensation for lost wages due to missed work, but many policies do not. Compensation for other damages, such as pain and suffering, is not covered by personal injury protection.In addition, if the at-fault driver lacks insurance coverage or if the insurance coverage of the at-fault driver fails to fully compensate an injured passenger for all of their damages, including non-economic damages like pain and suffering or lost quality of life, the passenger may be entitled to make a claim against the uninsured\/underinsured motorist coverage on their own auto insurance policy.\ufeffWhat Should I Do If I Was a Passenger and Was Injured During a Crash?If you were injured in a car accident while riding as a passenger, you should proactively take the following steps to help protect your rights and your options for pursuing compensation:Call 911\u00a0or have someone else call 911 if you\u2019ve been injured.Be sure to get the contact, driver\u2019s license, registration, and insurance information\u00a0from all the drivers involved in the accident, so that you know who to contact if you later determine that you have a claim for compensation against one or more of the drivers involved in the accident.Document the accident scene,\u00a0including taking photos of the damage to the vehicles, the road lines and traffic controls at the scene, the perspectives of each of the drivers immediately prior to the accident, and the weather, lighting, traffic, and road conditions at the time of the accident. Also, photograph any visible injuries you suffered.Inform your own auto insurance company\u00a0of the accident. Your policy likely requires you to advise your insurer of any accident you are involved in within a certain period of time in order to file a claim under your policy.Get a physical exam\u00a0from your primary physician or another medical provider, even if you don\u2019t feel at first like you were injured in the accident. A doctor can diagnose any injuries you suffered in the accident that have delayed pain and symptoms.What Compensation Can a Passenger Receive After an Accident?Depending on the insurance coverages available to an injured passenger, they may be entitled to seek compensation for damages such as:Costs of medical treatmentLost wages and income\u00a0for the time you miss from work while recovering from injuriesLost earning potential,\u00a0if you cannot return to your old job or cannot go back to work due to your injuriesLoss of enjoyment or quality of lifePain and sufferingIf you were injured as a passenger in a car accident, contact the Rock Hill car accident attorneys of\u00a0McKinney, Tucker & Lemel, LLC\u00a0for an initial case evaluation to discuss your legal options.Visit Our South Carolina Car Accident Law Offices"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What To Do If You Were a Passenger in a South Carolina Car Accident","item":"https:\/\/www.mtllawfirm.com\/blog\/what-to-do-if-you-were-a-passenger-in-a-car-accident\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]