Motor Vehicle Accident Compensation in New York

If you suffer injuries in a motor vehicle crash that the state of New York deems serious, you could be eligible to file a lawsuit for compensation. Your attorney can provide advice on whether your injuries meet the criteria for this.

Insurance companies are adept in arguing over the magnitude of your losses. This can result in settlement offers that are not in the range of what you want.

Damages

If you've been injured in an auto accident, you could be entitled to compensation. These damages are intended to cover your losses as well as expenses, such as medical bills, lost wages and property damage. You may also receive compensation for pain and suffering. This kind of compensation is more subjective and can be difficult to quantify. A competent lawyer for torts can help you get maximum damages for your injuries.

If, for instance, attorneys you sustain an injury that causes a permanent impairment of your leg or arm, compensation may include future costs that are associated with the impairment. This could include surgeries and physical therapy and prosthetics, as well as equipment. A permanent loss of a leg, or a disfigurement could cause emotional trauma that lasts a lifetime and reduce the quality of life. This is known as mental anguish.

Non-economic damages are more intangible and insurance companies frequently attempt to diminish these types of harms. Morgan &Morgan's experienced and knowledgeable tort attorneys can ensure that you get the full value of your general damages.

Medical bills

If you're injured in a car accident medical bills can pile up quickly. It is possible to feel overwhelmed by the costs, especially if you are still recovering from your injuries.

There are a variety of ways to assist victims of car accidents pay for their medical expenses. In New York, every driver must have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance, which covers the initial medical expenses of a victim following an accident. PIP will cover the loss of income if a victim is unable work for up to 90-days.

Medicare and health insurance may also pay for medical expenses in addition to PIP. The only condition is that the patient has to prove the charges are directly connected to the accident. This can be done by submitting receipts or bills from the doctor.

Some hospitals and doctors may allow a victim of an accident to negotiate a payment agreement in exchange for a lien on the victim's eventual personal injury verdict or settlement. These liens are commonly known as medical liens or hospital liens. If you fail to resolve these liens within a reasonable amount of time the debts could be transferred to collection. By storing and tracking their mileage receipts, the victims may also be able to claim reimbursement for expenses incurred in traveling to and from a medical appointment.

Lost wages

Being absent from work due to a motor vehicle accident law firms vehicle accident can place you in a difficult financial position. Many Americans live from paycheck to paycheck and losing a few weeks or months of pay could be catastrophic. Fortunately, car accident victims are often able to recover lost wages in their car accident lawsuits.

Typically, claims for lost wages are determined by calculating the amount of time a injured person could have been working without injury. This could include any missed shifts, overtime hours, as well as any work performed during an hospital stay. To prove the loss of income the plaintiff should request documents from his employer. This could be in the form of letters that verify the time spent away from work, as well as their hourly rate or salary. Other documents include pay stubs, copies of the injured party's tax return for the previous year.

It is essential that the demand package be completed as soon as is possible following an accident. The person who was injured can get the maximum benefit from their claim. The evidence of the incident is more convincing if it is provided immediately.

Pain and suffering

The physical pain and emotional remorse that result from a car accident can be extremely difficult to put a price on. But, it's crucial to seek compensation for these losses in your case.

These are called non-economic damages. They may include the cost of your pain and suffering and the loss of enjoyment in life and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more. It can take time to fully appreciate the impact your injury has had on your life, so these costs aren't as simple to quantify as medical bills or lost wages.

Your lawyer can employ one of two methods to calculate the amount of pain and suffering. The most commonly used is the multiplier method in which your total economic damages are calculated--which includes the future and past medical bills as well as any loss of income due to your injury, and damage to property--and then multiplied by a number that varies from 1.5 to 5. The higher the number, the more severe the injuries are judged to be.

Another way to measure the extent of suffering and pain is to use an hourly basis. Your lawyer can ask the jury to give you a dollar amount for each day that you endure. This is particularly beneficial to accident victims who work outside the home or who have to care for children while recovering from their injuries.