Seattle Passenger Negligence Lawyer

Home » Car Accidents » Passenger Negligence

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified driving errors, distinguished from environmental conditions or equipment failures, as the reason behind 94% of car accidents. 

But driving errors do not all result from the same cause. A medical event, for example, could cause a driver to lose control of their vehicle. Even an unruly passenger might distract a driver for long enough to cause a crash.

When another person in a vehicle causes the driver to crash in Seattle, WA, liability may fall on the former as opposed to the latter. That distinction might be important if, for instance, the driver is uninsured, but the passenger has insurance. 

In any case, a Seattle passenger negligence lawyer from Davis Law Group Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers can help you in these situations. Contact us today for a free consultation at (206) 727 4000. 

How Davis Law Group Can Help After a Passenger Negligence Accident in Seattle, WA

Founded over 30 years ago, Davis Law Group Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers has represented thousands of clients throughout Seattle, Washington, fighting for financial compensation. Our Seattle car accident lawyers have decades of combined legal experience standing up to insurers and at-fault drivers on behalf of crash victims, and we’ve won tens of millions of dollars for our clients in the process.

After you suffer an injury due to someone else’s actions, our law firm will provide you with the following legal services:

• Advising you about your legal rights and options
• Gathering evidence and records for your case
• Filing your insurance claim and negotiating with insurers
• Taking your case to court when insurers refuse to settle

The losses you face after a car accident can threaten your ability to pay for your medical care and living expenses. Do not hesitate to contact us for a free consultation to discuss how we can help you recover compensation for your losses under Washington law.

How Many Passenger Negligence Crashes Happen?

Passenger negligence often distracts drivers. And distracted driving itself was identified as being the cause of 17,722 total traffic crashes in 2023, according to the yearly report on the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Collision Data Portal.

However, 857 of these crashes were attributed to cell phone use. Deduct these crashes, and Washington State’s crash statistics show that 16,865 distracted driving crashes were caused by something other than cell use. These resulted in the following outcomes:

• 115 fatal crashes
• 459 serious injury crashes where an ambulance was called
• 2,005 minor injury crashes where victims had visible but non-incapacitating injuries
• 2,701 possible injury crashes where victims complained of pain without visible injuries

Not all of these crashes resulted from passenger-related distractions. However, the data highlights that even though the state has successfully reduced phone-based distracted driving with its ban on texting and handheld cell use while driving, distractions can still arise from other sources, including passengers.

The Role of a Seattle Passenger Negligence Lawyer

Negligence is a legal concept that allows injured parties to pursue claims against an individual, group, or entity that unintentionally caused their injuries. Although every negligence case involves unique facts, your personal injury attorney must prove four key elements to establish negligence:

• Duty of care
• Breach of duty
• Damages
• Causation

The most complicated issues faced in passenger negligence cases often involve linking the passenger’s actions to a breach of duty that caused the accident. Some common causes of accidents that might support a passenger negligence claim include the following:

• Talking or arguing with the driver
• Roughhousing with other passengers
• Grabbing the steering wheel
• Hitting the driver
• Blocking the driver’s vision

In most cases, the passenger knows (or should know) that these actions could lead to a car crash. A passenger negligence lawyer will use evidence, including the driver’s and passengers’ testimony, to determine what happened and that it constituted negligence.

Compensation Recoverable in Passenger Negligence Cases

After establishing liability, your passenger negligence lawyer will submit evidence of your losses. Generally, you can recover compensation for both economic and non-economic losses. Economic losses include the financial costs of your injuries, such as:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Income losses
• Diminished earning capacity due to disabilities
• Out-of-pocket expenses related to your injuries

Non-economic losses represent the intangible changes caused by your injuries that lead to a diminishment in your quality of life. Some common non-financial losses include the following:

• Physical pain
• Mental anguish and suffering
• Disability
• Dismemberment
• Disfigurement

A Seattle passenger negligence lawyer will work to prove your economic losses using financial records like bank statements, paycheck stubs, and receipts. The evidence needed to prove non-economic losses includes your medical records and testimony to show the extent of your injuries and how they have affected your life.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Seattle Car Accident Lawyers

The injuries from a crash can leave you facing long-term medical and financial hardships. Contact our law firm for a free consultation at (206) 727 4000 to discuss your crash and the options you have to pursue accident compensation for your losses. Our experienced Seattle passenger negligence attorneys work on contingency, so you only pay for our legal services if we win compensation for you.