Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists Benefits

I Was Hit By An Uninsured Motorist In Pennsylvania; How Am I Going To Recover Financially?

If you were hit by an uninsured motorist in Pennsylvania and you have car insurance, then you may be able to recover under your own uninsured motorist policy. Uninsured motorist coverage is something that you pay for when you sign up for car insurance, and the limits can be raised or lowered based on your premiums. If you are a pedestrian and no one in your household has car insurance, then you may be able to recover up to $15,000 for pain and suffering from the Pennsylvania Assigned Claims Plan. The Pennsylvania Assigned Claims Plan is a public fund for people who sustain injuries in automobile-related accidents and do not have insurance. Determining eligibility for this type of coverage is complex, so you need to contact an attorney in order to prosecute your claim.

How Is A Settlement Calculated In Auto Accident Claims?

In car accident claims, your settlement is calculated based upon your economic and non-economic claims. Economic claims include lost wages, medical bills, and medical liens with dollar amounts attached. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, and loss of life’s pleasures. The third calculation that comes into play involves policy limits. The Pennsylvania minimum coverage is $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident. This means that if there is an accident with multiple people involved, the most they can recover is $30,000 in total. If five people are injured and there is a 15/30 policy, then five people will be splitting $30,000. This is just one reason it is so important to have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage; it would allow you to recover from your own insurance policy in the event that an uninsured or underinsured driver causes your injuries.

Following My Pennsylvania Car Accident, I Could Only Return To Work Part Time; Am I Eligible To Recover Money For My Lost Wages?

If you could only return to work part time or for light duty, then you may be able to recover lost wages. In addition, you may be able to use the fact that you could not return to full-time work as evidence of the severity of your injury, which could result in an increase in total compensation.

What Are Potential Defenses That You See Insurance Companies Use To Try To Avoid Paying Out On Personal Injury Auto Accident Claims?

Insurance companies are not in the business of paying out claims. In fact, they will do everything possible to avoid paying your claim, including arguing that the accident was your fault or that the damages are not serious. One of the most common defenses used by car accident insurance companies is that the person’s damages do not pierce limited tort. A more complete discussion of limited tort can be found here. Anyone who is dealing with a limited tort claim should hire an attorney immediately; an attorney will have to show that the claimant has sustained a serious impairment of bodily function, which will require a technical analysis of how the accident affected the person’s body.

Why Would Someone Even Need A Personal Injury Attorney If The Other Driver Was Clearly At Fault?

Insurance companies are not in the business of paying out claims. I once represented a client who had been offered $3,000 by her insurance company. She contacted me because she felt that this amount was very low, and she wanted a second opinion. After I got involved with the case, the settlement went from $3,000 to $30,000 and we eventually settled the case for about $35,000. The only thing that changed was that she hired an attorney. Insurance companies don’t respond without the threat of litigation, and they know that a layperson can’t just take them to court and hold them accountable. In order to level the playing field, you need an attorney in your corner.

Am I Required To Notify The Other Driver’s Insurance Company Of The Accident, And What Do I Do If They Contact Me For A Statement?

You do not need to contact the other person’s insurance company. You can contact your own insurance company to report the claim. If either insurance company contacts you for a statement, you are better off directing them to your attorney. This is because these companies are not in the business of paying claims; they are in the business of denying claims, and they may try to use your statement against you in the future. Most people do not even realize that they have been injured until two or three days after an accident. However, if you were to tell the insurance company that you don’t feel injured, then they would use that against you in order to avoid paying the claim. You are always better off hiring an attorney who can do all of the talking for you.

What Are Some Of The Most Common Car Accident Injuries, And What Causes Them?

Car accident injuries most commonly result from intersectional (i.e. T-bone) accidents and rear-end accidents. Intersectional accidents cause broken bones and concussions, whereas rear-end accidents tend to cause whiplash, lower back pain, and neck pain.

I Was In An Accident; How Will I Pay The Medical Bills?

If you have been in an accident and you are concerned about your ability to pay your medical bills, rest assured that if you have car insurance in Pennsylvania, you will automatically receive Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. PIP insurance provides $5,000 to cover any medical bills that result from a car accident, regardless of who was at fault for the accident. This type of insurance exists simply because people need health care.

If you are injured, you should get treatment despite any worries about where the money is going to come from. Your own insurance company pays up to $5,000 for medical coverage regardless of where you receive the treatment. If you have a personal injury case, hiring Crichton Law to fight for you won’t cost you anything until we win your case.

For more information on Uninsured/ Underinsured Motorist, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (267) 225-3317 today.