Motor Vehicle Accident Compensation in New York

If you are injured in a motor vehicle accident lawyer vehicle accident that the state of New York deems serious, you may be able to file a lawsuit seeking compensation. Your lawyer can advise you on whether your injuries meet the criteria for this.

Insurance companies are experts in contesting your losses. This can result in settlement offers that are not in the range of what you require.

Damages

If you have been injured in an automobile accident, you could be entitled to compensation. The purpose of these damages is to cover your losses as well as expenses, such as medical bills, lost wages and property damage. You can also receive compensation for pain and suffering. This type of compensation can be subjective and hard to quantify. A skilled lawyer for torts will help you obtain the maximum amount of compensation for your injuries.

If, for example, you sustain an injury that causes permanent impairment of your arm or your leg it could be possible to receive compensation for future expenses associated with the impairment. These could include physical therapy, surgeries and prosthetics, as well as equipment. In addition, a permanent loss of a limb or major disfigurement could lead to a lifetime of emotional trauma and diminished enjoyment of life. This is referred to as mental anguish.

Non-economic damages are more tangible and insurers frequently try to minimize these kinds of damages. However, a well-trained tort lawyer from Morgan & Morgan can make sure you're awarded the full value of general damages in your case.

Medical bills

Medical bills can quickly mount in the event of an injury in a car accident. The costs can seem overwhelming and difficult to manage, especially if you attempt to recover from your injuries.

Luckily, there are several different ways in which car accident victims can receive assistance in paying their medical bills. In New York, every driver must have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage that will pay a victim's initial medical expenses following an accident. PIP will cover the loss of income if the person is disabled for a period of up to 90 days.

In addition to PIP, a victim's health insurance and Medicare may also pay for their medical bills. The only condition is that the patient has to be able to prove the costs are a result of the accident by providing doctor's bills and receipts.

Some hospitals and doctors will allow accident victims to make a payment agreement in exchange for a lien against the victim's personal injury verdict or settlement. These liens are often referred to as medical liens or hospital liens. If you don't resolve these liens within a reasonable period of time the debts may be sent to collection. By keeping track of their mileage receipts, the victims may also be able to claim reimbursement for expenses incurred in traveling to and from medical appointment.

Lost wages

Missing work due to an accident with a vehicle could put you in an extremely difficult financial situation. Losing a few weeks of pay or even a whole month can be a huge loss for Americans who live from paycheck to pay. Car accident victims are usually successful in recovering lost wages in their lawsuits arising from car accidents.

Typically, claims for lost wages are determined by determining the amount of time a injured person would have worked regardless of their injuries. This could include any missed shifts or overtime hours and any work done during a hospital stay. To prove loss of income the plaintiff has to seek documents from his employer. This could be in the form of letters that prove the duration of their time away from work, and their hourly rate or salary. Pay stubs or copies the last tax return can be included as well as other documents.

It is vital that the demand package be completed as soon as is possible following a car accident. This will allow the victim to receive the most benefits from their claim. The evidence of the incident is more convincing when it is provided immediately.

Pain and suffering

The physical pain and emotional distress that result from a car crash is difficult to place a value on. It is important to seek compensation in the case of your accident for the losses.

They are referred to as non-economic damage. These damages may include suffering and pain, loss in enjoyment of life, PTSD, and more. These expenses can be difficult to quantify as it could take some time to comprehend the full extent of your injury.

Your lawyer can use one of two methods to calculate your pain and suffering damages. The most common is the multiplier method in which your total economic damages are calculated--which includes the future and past medical bills, any loss of income from work because of your injury and damage to property--and then multiplied by a number that varies from 1.5 to 5. The higher the number, more serious your injuries are deemed to be.

The other way to assess pain and suffering is on an hourly basis. Lawyers can request that the jury decide on a dollar amount each day you continue to suffer. This is especially beneficial to accident victims who work outside the home or who have to care for children as they recover from their injuries.