Taking care of medical needs after a car accident
New York residents may remember hearing about the car accident involving Yankees player Ichiro Suzuki. The accident happened after a spring training baseball game against Detroit in Tampa, Florida.
Suzuki's SUV was totaled when he was struck in the driver's side by another vehicle in an intersection. Suzuki had the green light. Luckily, there were no reported injuries at the time of the accident and Suzuki is expected to play again very soon. That being said, some injuries like whiplash do not become apparent until after an accident or collision.
Unfortunately, not everybody is able to walk away from a car accident without any injuries. For some, car accidents can leave long-term injuries that can be expensive to treat.
Insurance coverage requirements
Car accidents are not uncommon in the United States. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, someone is injured in a car accident every 10 seconds. Because car accidents are a common occurrence, the state of New York requires that every motor vehicle registered in the state must have liability insurance to cover damage and injuries.
According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, insurance coverage must include the following minimum amounts: •· $25,000 per person / 50,000 per accident for injury •· $50,000 per person / 100,000 per accident for death •· $10,000 for property damage caused by one accident
The liability coverage must be purchased from an agency that is licensed by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Liability coverage is required before a person can register his or her car in New York. The liability coverage must be issued in the name of the person who is registering; it must remain in that person's name at all times. Out-of-state insurance coverage is absolutely unacceptable.
No-fault system
Liability insurance coverage is required because New York is a no-fault state. Under a no-fault system, one's insurance company will pay for any damages to the insured person, regardless of which party is at fault. Also under this system, it is illegal for anybody without insurance to drive.
The no-fault system was created in an attempt to avoid personal injury lawsuits. However, because there is only a minimum as to how much insurance one is required to carry, there is a chance that the costs of the injuries sustained cannot fully be covered by one's own insurance. Therefore, if there is a serious injury, New York allows its residents to bring a personal injury lawsuit.
If a person's injuries are bad enough, bringing a personal injury lawsuit could be the only way to make sure that one's medical bills are going to be paid and that the injured person can continue to receive the necessary medical care. A driver, passenger or pedestrian who has been injured in a car accident could benefit from consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney.