Passengers hurt in car accidents can recover monetary damages

In Georgia as in other states the law of personal injury is based on the legal concept of negligence. This doctrine imposes a duty of due care owed by vehicle operators toward one another. When car accidents occur, if one or more drivers were negligent in causing the mishap, then they must compensate victims injured in the accident. There are, however,  many complexities of negligence law, and its application differs from state to state.

One concept that is clearly established regarding car accidents is that a passenger who is seriously injured in a vehicular collision is nearly always entitled to collect monetary compensation from the at-fault negligent driver(s). The passenger has a claim against all parties at fault, including the driver of the vehicle that the passenger occupied. For example, a passenger reportedly injured in a recent accident is Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts.

He was a passenger in a car heading south on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs when a car traveling northbound attempted to make a left turn and crossed directly into the southbound vehicle’s path, causing a collision. In the general parlance of the rules of the road, that is called an improper left turn. It is negligence to make a turn into the path of an oncoming vehicle.  

The authorities arrested the offending driver for DWI, failure to yield the right of way and other infractions. Pitts and the operator of his vehicle both complained of injury. However, they were not taken to a hospital, according to a police spokesperson.

Statements made by spokespersons immediately after a vehicular accident must be taken with a proverbial grain of salt. Victims who may have suffered grave and permanent injuries often reject medical assistance at the scene only to discover a serious internal injury some hours or even days after the event. It is recommended that all individuals who are injured in Georgia car accidents seek immediate medical attention as soon as the injury manifests itself and then follow their doctor’s  instructions.

Source: Sandy Springs, GA Patch, “Alleged Drunk Driver Charged In Crash Involving BOC Chair“, Kristal Dixon, April 6, 2018