Why a Driver and Passenger Might Need Separate Attorneys
After a car accident, both drivers and passengers may need legal help. It is important for the driver and passengers to understand their legal rights and options to ensure they get the fair representation and the support they need to protect their best interests.
In personal injury cases, there are sometimes situations that can result in conflicts of interest. The most common scenario involves a driver and a passenger in an automobile accident. An attorney should not represent both the driver and the passenger in the same case.
The reason is that the passenger may have a right to seek compensation from all the vehicles involved, including the host vehicle. The attorney representing the driver of the host vehicle is likely to have inside information about what happened. If the driver and passenger have the same attorney, the passenger can use that information to the driver’s disadvantage. Additionally, the attorney representing the passenger may attempt to discourage that passenger from bringing a claim against the host vehicle to protect their other client, the driver. A conflict of interest can arise even if the passenger is a spouse, a child, or friends riding together in the same car.
Common Types of Car Accidents that could involve a conflict of interest:
• Left-Turn Accidents: Occur when a vehicle making a left turn collides with an oncoming vehicle.
• Stop-sign Accidents: Occur when a vehicle disregards a stop sign and collides with another vehicle.
• Rear-End Collisions: Happen when one vehicle crashes into the back of another.
• Side-Impact Collisions (T-Bone Accidents): Occur when the front of one vehicle strikes the side of another, often at intersections.
• Head-On Collisions: Involve two vehicles colliding directly from opposite directions.
• Rollover Accidents: Can result from high-speed crashes, sharp turns, or vehicle instability, sometimes influenced by road conditions or mechanical failures.
• Sideswipe Accidents: Occur when two vehicles traveling parallel make contact, often on highways or multi-lane roads.
• Multi-Vehicle Accidents (Pile-Ups): Involve three or more vehicles, usually in a chain reaction crash.
• Hit-and-Run Accidents: When a driver leaves the scene without providing information or assistance.
• Single-Vehicle Accidents: Involve only one vehicle, such as crashes due to losing control, hitting objects, or running off the road.
• Intersection Accidents: Happen at intersections, often involving failure to yield, running red lights, or misjudging turns.
• Parking Lot Accidents: Usually low-speed collisions occurring in parking areas, often due to backing up or poor visibility.
• Backing Collisions: Happen when a driver reverses into another vehicle, object, or pedestrian, often in parking lots or driveways.
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Our firm’s motto is “Don’t Be a Victim Twice”. If you are a victim of an accident, call 1-800-VICTIM2 (1-800-842-8462). The call is free. The consultation is free. You don’t pay us unless we are successful. That’s our “Our Fee Guarantee – No Fee Unless Successful
If you or a loved one was the victim of an accident, the personal injury attorneys at Greenstein & Pittari, LLP are here to help. Greenstein & Pittari, LLP has offices in Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Westchester, and Nassau County. Our lawyers work tirelessly to ensure that our clients receive the compensation they are entitled to when others have acted negligently or recklessly and caused serious injury. “Don’t Be A Victim Twice, call 1-800-VICTIM2 (1-800-842-8462) to schedule a confidential consultation.