Who pays for personal injuries sustained in an auto accident depends on a number of factors. In New York, drivers’ liability insurance should cover medical expenses up to their policy limits.
Compensation for medical expenses could include emergency room and hospital visits, surgeries, prescription medication, physical therapy sessions and follow-up appointments with specialists; it might even cover lost income when an injury prevents you from working.
The At-Fault Party
If someone’s negligence directly led to your injuries and losses, that person or company must compensate you. This may include medical costs related to your accident such as follow-up appointments and physical therapy treatments as well as lost income if injuries rendered you incapable of work.
Your car repairs or replacement expenses may also be covered depending on the severity of the damage. If one defendant’s insurance does not cover your full damages, then New York law allows for joint and several liability, where multiple defendants share in proportional responsibility for all your losses.
Keep in mind that the insurance company of those responsible does not have your best interests at heart, which is why legal representation can help ensure fair compensation is awarded for losses suffered. Your attorney can negotiate on your behalf and handle communications and negotiations directly with them on your behalf to get justice done for all parties involved.
Your Own Insurance Company
Personal injuries resulting from car accidents can be devastating, often leaving victims with significant medical bills and expenses associated with the crash. Luckily, victims have the legal recourse they need to file personal injury suits against those at fault and seek justice and compensation from them.
New York requires auto insurers to include Personal Injury Protection coverage as part of their policy, to cover medical expenses regardless of fault up to a specific limit.
Importantly, successful plaintiffs will receive compensatory damages for both economic and non-economic losses, reflecting both economic and non-economic losses. Compensatory damages aim to put victims back into their original positions before their accident occurred; their amount usually appears as part of the total award amount. Our Harlem car accident attorneys strive to secure maximum compensation for our clients; should your claim surpass what your policy can cover, you have options available through other sources for coverage; therefore it’s crucial that you understand your auto policy’s benefits and limits thoroughly in order to maximize compensation claims payouts.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists
An accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist can leave you scrambling to cover medical bills, property damages and other costs – often leaving them without enough liability coverage to cover them all. Your auto policy likely contains provisions allowing you to file a claim with your own insurer when an at-fault party does not carry enough coverage to cover these expenses.
Your own UM/UIM coverage could provide compensation for:
These expenses may include medical costs associated with your crash, prescription medications, physical therapy costs and other treatments, pain and suffering compensation as well as intangible losses like inconvenience and non-tangible damages. To file a UM/UIM claim as soon as possible following a collision, reach out to your provider quickly so they can open an investigation while the details remain fresh in their minds. They will need access to copies of your police report, scene evidence and any documentation in order to assess your claim before determining your eligibility for compensation.
Other Parties
Car accidents can be distressful experiences that wreak havoc on both physical and psychological wellbeing, not to mention financial ruin. The good news is that compensatory damages provide compensation for these losses – such as medical expenses, property damage claims, lost wages or pain and suffering claims.
An insurance claim is often the initial step toward recovering compensation for losses related to car accidents. Liability coverage provided by drivers at fault (known as third-party claims) should cover repairs, rental car costs and lost wages from injuries sustained in an accident. Documenting all losses as soon as possible after being involved in a crash is essential; any additional payments from your own policy provider might depend on state laws or policy provisions in force at that time.