Most people never think about what will happen if they ever suffer an auto accident personal injury. When an accident occurs due to alcohol, speeding, distracted driving or some other cause, serious injuries can occur. Will your auto insurance cover all the necessary medical expenses? Personal injury lawyers in Ithaca, Syracuse and Auburn, NY, like Littman and Babiarz, help victims secure medical payments after accidents.
New York’s ‘No-Fault’ Insurance Coverage
New York is a ‘No Fault’ insurance coverage state, meaning that this Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is designed to cover medical/health expenses, lost earnings and certain other reasonable and necessary expenses related to your injuries, in order to restore you to health as quickly as possible. The coverage limit per person is $50,000.
This coverage is provided to you through your auto insurance policy and pays the expenses described above whether or not you were at fault in the accident. All passengers in your automobile and any pedestrians who become inured in the accident are also covered. However, it doesn’t take much before medical treatments for auto accident injuries will quickly exceed $50,000. What do you do then?
Under the New York No-Fault law, lawsuits to recover damages from auto accidents can only be brought when economic losses exceed the $50,000 benefit limit; you may also sue for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. In addition, you must have sustained a ‘serious injury’ as defined in the Insurance Law specifications under Section 5102(d). Littman and Babiarz, personal injury attorneys in Ithaca, Auburn and Syracuse, can help recover damages in the event of a personal injury accident.
‘Serious Injury’ Compensation in a No-Fault State
New York Insurance Law describes various conditions that meet the definition of ‘serious injury.’ These injuries must result in at least one of the following:
- Death
- Dismemberment
- Significant disfigurement
- Fracture
- Loss of a fetus
- Permanent loss of use of a body organ, member, function or system
- Permanent consequential limitation of a body organ or member
- Significant limitation of use of a body function or system
- Medically determined injury or impairment of a non-permanent nature which prevents the injured person from performing substantially all of the material acts which constitute such person’s usual and customary daily activities for not less than 90 days during the 180 days immediately following the occurrence of the injury or impairment.
These types of injuries can involve long-term or even life-long medical care, in-home care and other permanent changes to your life. No amount of money can replace your former life, but pursuing a personal injury lawsuit can provide the compensation necessary to cover your medical care expenses and other costs involved to provide you with as high a quality of life as possible.
Littman and Babiarz, are personal injury lawyers in Ithaca, Auburn and Syracuse, NY, that have the knowledge, experience and resources necessary to help you pursue a lawsuit for compensation after you or a loved one suffer a personal injury resulting from an auto accident. Contact us in Ithaca or Auburn at 607-277-7525 to schedule your free initial consultation. Or, you may contact us online with your questions or concerns.