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Simple English definitions for legal terms
guest statute
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A quick definition of guest statute:
A guest statute is a law in some states that says if you are a passenger in a car and you get hurt because of the driver's mistake, you can only sue them if they were really, really careless. This means they did something really dangerous like driving drunk or ignoring a problem with the car. The law is there to protect drivers from getting sued by their friends or family members who were just riding in the car with them.
A more thorough explanation:
A guest statute is a law that exists in only a few states in the United States. It prevents a passenger who is not paying for the ride from suing the driver if they are injured due to the driver's simple negligence. In other words, the passenger can only sue the driver if the driver's actions were extremely reckless or intentional.
For example, if a passenger is hurt because the driver was texting while driving, the passenger cannot sue the driver under the guest statute. However, if the driver was drunk or intentionally driving recklessly, the passenger can sue the driver.
The purpose of the guest statute is to protect drivers from being sued by passengers who are not paying for the ride. It is important to note that the guest statute only applies to passengers who are not paying for the ride. If a passenger is paying for the ride, they can sue the driver for any negligence.