The one-car accident described below got me thinking about a question I am often asked:
If I am riding in a car driven by one of my friends and he does something dumb (speeding, driving drunk, driving too fast for conditions) that causes me to get injured, can I bring a claim against my friend?
The short answer is YES. If you have been hurt due to the negligence, carelessness or recklessness of another, you can bring an action against them even though they may be your friend, your relative or even your spouse. That goes too for the driver of a car in which you are riding.
Now this does NOT mean that every car crash results in a valid claim or lawsuit. Both New York and Pennsylvania have rules about when you can and cannot bring a lawsuit. For instance, NY requires that you have suffered a “serious injury” in order to qualify to bring a lawsuit in NY auto accident case and in Pennsylvania your right to bring a lawsuit may be determined by whether you elected the full tort or limite tort option.
But what this DOES mean is that just because you have some relationship with the negligent person, does NOT automatically disqualify you from bringing a claim against them and their insurance company.
I hope this helps clarify this issue.
Thanks for reading,
Jim Reed
New York & Pennsylvania Auto Accident Lawyer
jreed@zifflaw.com
Bradford County Crash Injures Three People
Contributor: Katie Graham, WETM-TV
ATHENS TOWNSHIP-Athens Township police are investigating a one-car accident that sent three people to the hospital Monday night.
It happened on Wilawana Road near the Dandy Mini-mart, near exit 59-A, around ten o’clock Monday night.
Athens Township police say they’re not sure how the accident happened.
Ambulances took three people to Robert Packer Hospital. Their conditions are unknown Tuesday morning.
