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Roughly six percent of drivers in New York operate without car insurance, not counting out-of-state motorists who enter the state uninsured. As a result, many people injured in collisions struggle to recover the compensation they deserve after an accident. If an uninsured motorist has struck you, contact us today. One of our Manhattan personal injury lawyers will review your case.
Review Your Insurance Options
Bad accidents can result in tens of thousands of dollars in financial losses, with many causing much more. If you need surgery, for example, you could easily be looking at 6-figure medical bills, which do not even include lost income.
New York requires that motorists carry the following:
- Personal injury protection benefits (PIP). These are no-fault benefits, so you can use them after any accident. They should cover medical care and lost wages. New York requires motorists to carry at least $50,000 in PIP coverage, but you might have purchased more.
- Uninsured motorist coverage (UM). You might use these benefits if the other driver who caused the accident lacked insurance. New York law requires uninsured motorist coverage.
Most people will probably tap their PIP first. However, if you have more than $50,000 in expenses, you should consider whether you can use uninsured motorist insurance. One issue might be the extent of your injuries and whether you qualify for benefits under your UM policy. Because each policy is different, you should meet with a Manhattan car accident attorney right away.
Establishing Fault
PIP is a no-fault insurance policy, as explained above. So you can use them even if you are responsible for a crash. But uninsured motorist coverage depends on fault. If you are at fault, you can’t use UM coverage benefits. Instead, you can only use them if another person is to blame.
Sometimes, the fault is easy to analyze. If a motorist ran a red light and slammed into you, that driver is at fault. But if you were T-boned coming out of a parking lot, then either you or the driver who struck you might be to blame, depending on the circumstances.
Your uninsured motorist insurer might object to paying benefits by claiming you are to blame for the accident. This means you need to work hard to convince your own insurer that your accident falls within your policy coverage.
At our firm, we can help establish fault by interviewing you and any passengers about what happened, as well as other witnesses, such as bystanders. We can review the police report critically and, if necessary, visit the accident scene.
Schedule a Free Case Evaluation with a New York Car Accident Attorney
Car accidents can leave victims with mounting medical bills. Get the legal help you need by contacting Lipsig Law today. We are one of the original injury firms in the city, with hundreds of satisfied clients. Overall, we have obtained more than $800 million in compensation for our clients. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation by calling 212-285-3300.