Which individuals constitute a 'covered person' under the motor-vehicle tort framework?

• A. Only drivers
• B. A pedestrian, owner, operator or occupant injured through the use or operation of a motor vehicle
• C. Any person injured in a motor-vehicle accident
• D. Only persons who hold motor-vehicle insurance

Answer: (B)

In the motor-vehicle tort framework, a covered person is someone who is injured through the use or operation of a motor vehicle and falls into one of the specified roles related to the vehicle. This includes a pedestrian who is injured by a vehicle, as well as an owner, an operator, or an occupant of the vehicle who is injured due to the vehicle’s use or operation. The focus is on the connection between the injury and the vehicle’s activity, not simply on who happened to be in the vehicle or whether they have insurance.

This makes the option that names a pedestrian, an owner, an operator, or an occupant who is injured through the vehicle’s use or operation the best fit. It correctly covers the people who can be harmed in a motor-vehicle context while excluding those not connected to the vehicle’s use or operation, and excluding people simply because they don’t carry insurance.