Passenger Injuries

Our Cleveland law firm represents passengers injured in car accidents. Know your rights.

Passengers injured in car accidents in Ohio can make a claim against the at-fault driver. That may be a friend who was driving the car or it may be a driver in another vehicle that caused the accident. As with any accident involving an injury, victims can easily feel overwhelmed and worried about what to do next. We can help. We urge car accident injury victims to contact us as soon as possible.

At Merriman Legal, LLC, our experienced passenger injury attorneys can work with you and thoroughly investigate your accident. That way, you can focus on what really matters – recovering from your injury.

Who pays for my medical bills?

If you were a passenger in a car accident who suffered a serious injury, you have the right to be compensated for your injury. But who pays for them? In the short term, you should instruct the hospital to bill your health insurance. If you don’t have health insurance, the driver of your vehicle may have medical payments coverage, which can pay for some of the bills.

Since Ohio is an “at-fault” state, the person responsible for causing a car, motorcycle, or truck accident is ultimately responsible for all of your damages, including the cost of your medical care. If their insurance policy is not enough to cover all of your damages, you may have an “underinsured motorist claim.” Here is where things get tricky!

Which insurance policy covers an injured passenger?

The driver or the owner of the vehicle you were in may have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage on their automobile insurance policy. Even though you were a passenger in this particular crash, you may also have your own automobile insurance policy, which could provide similar coverage. Determining which insurance policy is “primary” typically requires the skill of an experienced personal injury attorney who can decipher the language in each policy.

At Merriman Legal, we deal with passenger injury cases every day. Our first priority is to make sure you are getting the maximum benefit from every insurance policy which might apply to your damages. In some cases, insurance companies improperly deny passenger injury claims.  Merriman Legal’s attorneys have a record of success enforcing the terms of the insurance policy in order to protect the rights of injured passengers.

It is critical to contact Merriman Legal immediately after a crash before you make mistakes that undermine your case.

What happens if my child was an injured passenger?

Children have rights just like adults. If your minor child was injured in a car accident or injured as a school bus passenger, they are entitled to be compensated for their injuries and damages. With a child injury cases, however, there are five important differences you need to know:

1. You must file the lawsuit on behalf of your minor child;
2. Any settlement of a child’s personal injury claim must be approved by the Probate Court;
3. All attorney fees and case expenses related to a child’s personal injury settlement must also be approved by the Probate Court;
4. Each Probate Court has unique rules regarding how the settlement money can be held until the child turns 18 and how it can be spent to benefit the injured child before they turn 18 years old; and
5. There are strategies available that enable your child to receive the maximum financial benefit from a personal injury settlement and to protect your child from blowing the money once they reach early adulthood.

At Merriman Legal, we provide Probate Court representation in child injury and wrongful death cases at NO additional charge.

What if I was in an Uber or Lyft accident?

If you find yourself involved in an accident as a passenger in an Uber or Lyft vehicle, you may be confused as to what your rights are or what you should do. While rideshare companies are not liable in Ohio for the injuries caused by their drivers, companies like Uber and Lyft maintain $1,000,000 insurance policies covering each of their drivers. So, while you cannot sue Uber or Lyft directly, there will be $1,000,000 in coverage available if you make a personal injury claim against the driver.

At Merriman Legal, we have had tremendous success representing both passengers and other motorists injured by the negligence of rideshare drivers. We have also successfully helped Uber and Lyft drivers recover for their injuries when they were not at fault for an accident.

Why should I hire a Cleveland passenger injury attorney?

As a passenger injured in a car accident, you need to make sure that insurance companies pay attention to your needs. This can be especially difficult if the driver of the vehicle you were traveling in was partially or completely at fault in your accident.

If the driver was your friend, you probably are reluctant to take action. You may worry about the impact of your decision on the relationship. What you may not realize is you don’t have to become involved in a protracted legal battle with a friend after a car accident. Your claim is made with the insurance company. In cases involving passenger injuries, our attorneys negotiate with the insurance company for the at-fault driver. Your friend has paid premiums to the insurance company to protect him or herself in case of an accident.

Remember, you didn’t do anything wrong. You shouldn’t have to bear the cost. Expenses associated with car accidents can climb into the thousands of dollars. We will work aggressively to make sure the insurance company pays you the compensation you deserve.

How can Merriman Legal, LLC, law firm help me?

There are so many reasons why you should hire our law firm to handle your passenger injury case. Along with dealing with insurance companies, our attorneys know how to aggressively investigate auto accidents and uncover the facts needed to build a strong legal case.

Whether it’s carefully reviewing accidents reports, medical records or consulting with accident experts, we leave no stone unturned in pursuit of the truth. We take these cases seriously because we understand the consequences of such accidents for injury victims.

You have rights. We can defend them. Contact Merriman Legal, LLC and schedule a “no obligation consultation” at no cost with our law firm. Call 866-823-3332. We’re located in Cleveland and serve passengers injured in car accidents throughout the state.