In the United States, carjackings have been increasing. There has been a dramatic increase in carjackings in many urban areas. In Philadelphia, for instance, carjackings are on track to more than double last year’s totals. It’s not just New York City and the Big Apple where carjackings are common; Chicago, DC, Newark, NJ, and New York City all have high rates as well.
Victims of carjackings are not limited to those inside the vehicle itself; they also include any pedestrians or drivers who may be hit at any point.
Whether they were in the stolen vehicle or were simply nearby, victims frequently suffer life-threatening injuries, and in the worst cases, they lose their lives. Sadly, perpetrators of crimes are rarely apprehended and brought to justice.
Legal Proceedings Regarding Civil Matters
Whether or not victims have a potential civil lawsuit and who the potential defendants are may depend heavily on the details of the investigation into the carjacking. The specifics of any potential civil suit depend on the circumstances at play. Cases can be filed for a variety of reasons, such as negligence or product liability.
When a car is stolen because of a defect in the vehicle, the owner may file a product liability claim against the car’s maker. Example: a carjacking could occur if the car’s automatic door locks unlock when the engine was running but the car was in park.
Several types of vehicles have been increasingly targeted in carjackings in Philadelphia in recent months. Theft experts speculate that this may be due to criminals gaining more familiarity with car door locking systems. If you want to learn more about carjacking lawsuits involving auto door locks, you can do so by reading the provided link.
In another scenario, a gun owner could be sued for negligence if a family member carjacked a victim using a gun the owner failed to properly secure.
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There can be no room for error in a civil case involving carjacking, so it’s crucial to get to the bottom of everything as soon as possible.
Insurance Claims For Vehicles
Carjacking victims can seek compensation for their injuries, lost wages, and even emotional distress through their vehicle’s insurance policy, although the specifics of how this is handled vary by state.
Insurance policies covering the stolen vehicle, its occupants, and any other relevant parties may be used to file such claims. Depending on state law, you may be entitled to Underinsure/Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UIM/UM) to help pay for medical expenses and lost wages, or Personal Injury Protection (PIP) to help cover those costs.
One such scenario involves a carjacking perpetrator who causes a terrible accident by crashing into a family’s vehicle. Several members of the family are severely hurt. Their own auto insurance policy would apply to pay for medical expenses and underinsured motorist coverage (UIM/UM) because the injuries were sustained in a car accident.
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To help compensate their victims, many states fund victim assistance programs. Victims must file an application and are typically only eligible for compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and other direct financial losses. Most insurance policies do not pay for damages related to pain and suffering. The victim compensation programs in some U.S. states are detailed below (current as of September 2022).
Final Words
Police in Baltimore say they located a carjacking victim who had been abducted the previous night and found her safe and sound.
Help was requested by city police in identifying the woman in the photo, who they said they were searching for.
She was allegedly carjacked at 2 a.m. on a Sunday in the Brooklyn area, according to the police. She was possibly operating a burgundy Nissan sedan, which has been hypothesised as being her mode of transportation.
