Auto Accidents happen every hour within the United States, and for this reason the majority of personal injury cases involve a motor vehicle accident. There is a certain amount of risk inherent in driving a motor vehicle and for this reason it may be challenging for lawyers to identify who is at fault within particular circumstances.
Since your car is a reasonably expensive purchase within your lifetime, and due to the damage that an accident can cause to prroperty and individuals it is highly recommended that you evaluate your car insurance policy.
According to a recent press release that I read New York requires a certain minimum for car insurance due to the extent of damages possible in a car accident. Many individuals when first getting a vehicle get an insurance policy that meets the minimum requirements. However, over time your circumstances may change and it is important to make sure you know how much you are covered.
Thus, the press release I refered to above mentioned making this evaluation at the beginning of each year. This creates some form of consistency and the change of the calendar is an easy reminder to check your policy.
Within the press release the minimum amount of coverage in New York is as follows
New York law requires drivers to purchase:
1. No Fault/Personal Injury Protection (PIP): This provides for up to $50,000 coverage per person for accident-related expenses no matter who was at fault. This covers the driver, passengers and pedestrians. It does not provide coverage to motorists who are driving while intoxicated or driving a motorcycle.
2. Third-party liability: This covers motorists who are sued for causing bodily injury or death to another driver. New York law requires minimum amounts of $25,000 for bodily injury to one person ($50,000 for two or more), $50,000 for death and $10,000 for property damage.
3. Uninsured Motorist (UM): This covers bodily injury suffered when a motorist is in an accident with a driver who has no insurance or is involved in a hit-and-run accident. New York law requires drivers to carry the same minimum UM limits as are required for liability insurance.
So depending on what State you are in, make sure you understand what the requirements are and that you evaluate the amount of coverage you will need in case of an accident. It's important to remember that your policy will need to cover
- medical expenses
- Damage to vehicles
- Long term care (depending on degree of injuries)
and much more depending on specific circumstances
If you would like to see the press release that inspired this blog post yourself you can find it at the following url
http://www.americanbankingnews.com/2011/01/17/binghamton-car-accident-a…
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Safe Driving,
Lawson