Dealing with Medical Costs after a Hudson Valley Car Accident
If you’ve recently been injured in a motor vehicle accident in New York, you may be wondering how your mounting medical bills will be paid. Should you make a claim with your car insurance carrier? Should you use your personal health insurance? What about the at-fault driver; shouldn’t they be responsible for part of the costs? The answer is that all three of these types of coverage could come into play in paying for your medical expenses after a crash.
New York’s Personal Injury Protection coverage
When it comes to car insurance, New York is a no-fault state. This means that when you’re hurt in an accident, your first source of coverage for your injuries should be your own insurance, rather than the at-fault driver’s insurance. You’re required to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage worth at least $50,000. This policy can be used to pay for medical expenses, lost wages, and incidental costs related to your medical care, such as travel to the medical facility that is treating you. If you purchased Additional Personal Injury Protection (APIP) coverage, you can also use this policy for costs going beyond your initial PIP coverage.
What to do if your PIP coverage is exhausted
If the injuries you receive in an accident were extensive and you’ve needed a large amount of costly medical care, you may exhaust your PIP coverage while you’re still paying for these treatments. If the other driver was at fault for the accident, you can file a claim with that driver’s insurance carrier for coverage under their Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) coverage. New York drivers are required to carry a minimum of $25,000 of coverage per injured person, and $50,000 per accident, in coverage for injuries caused to other people.
Car accidents while you’re on the job
Like other workplace injuries, if you’ve been hurt in a motor vehicle accident that occurred while you were doing your job, you should file a claim for benefits with your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. You may also have a right to coverage from the at-fault driver’s insurance for additional costs.
Get help seeking compensation for your injuries after a New York car accident
Even if you’re covered by insurance, handling costs associated with a major injury can be challenging. Navigating each insurance carrier’s claims process, potentially dealing with denials of claims, and fighting for the coverage to which you believe yourself entitled can all be draining and confusing. Don’t go at it alone; get help from an experienced attorney. At Dupée & Monroe, P.C., we’ve been helping accident victims get the compensation they deserve for decades. Let us fight for you and the money you’re owed, so that you can focus on healing.
For a free consultation on your claims after a New York car accident, contact the seasoned and effective Goshen personal injury lawyers at Dupée & Monroe at 845-294-8900.
