Situations Where a Passenger Can Share Liability

Stephen Mashney09 Apr, 2026Other

Passengers are generally not liable in connection with the use of a vehicle because they do not make decisions about how fast to drive, where to go, whether to follow the rules of the road, etc. The primary responsibility of a passenger is to be passive and rely upon the safe and prudent behavior of the driver. With respect to accidents involving vehicles, it is common for liability to fall on the driver or other parties. That being said, a reasonable expectation exists that passengers will not engage in activity which could reasonably be expected to distract or impair the driver's ability to operate a vehicle in a safe manner.​ ​