PERSONAL INJURY

Auto Accidents

When you are involved in an automobile accident, there are a number of things that need to be done quickly to get you back on the road. You may just need your car fixed, but you may also need make sure that your medical bills are paid or you may have injuries that will require future medical care. We can help you no matter your needs. First, you need to understand what coverage is available to you.

 

TYPES OF COVERAGE

Having the right insurance coverage can make the difference between getting your life back quickly and a long, frustrating process that leaves you in a bad spot. When someone hits you, it is a crap shoot on whether or not they have insurance that will cover the damage. Take a moment to inform yourself. If you have questions, please contact us or your insurance agent.

Collision:

This coverage pays for damage to your vehicle as the result of an accident, regardless of who is at fault. This coverage is not mandatory, but it is certainly a good idea. Some folks argue that if your car is old enough, you do not need collision coverage, but be careful. If the other driver who hits you does not have insurance and you do not have collision coverage, the damage to your automobile will not be covered by insurance. You can always sue the other driver, but if they could not afford collision coverage, chances are good that they will not have the money to fix or replace your car. To make matters worse, if you owe money on the car that is damaged or totaled, you still are responsible for the loan on the damaged car.

Property Damage Liability – This coverage pays for damage to someone else’s vehicle or property in the event that you are at fault in a wreck. This coverage is required by the State of Kentucky.

No-Fault; Personal Injury Protection (PIP), Basic Reparation Benefits and Added Reparation Benefits:

These are different names for the same type of coverage. If you are involved in an automobile accident, the insurance company of vehicle you are riding in pays your medical expense, work loss, replacement services loss, and, if injury causes death, survivor’s economic loss and survivor’s replacement services loss. Noneconomic detriment is not loss.

Unless you reject the provisions of the act, it is mandatory that you have at least $10,000.00 of basic benefits. You can purchase Added Benefits if you wish.

Bodily Injury Liability:

This coverage pays if you are at fault in a wreck and someone else is hurt. Your insurance company will pay to try and resolve the other person’s claim against you and will also pay for an attorney to defend you if the other party files a lawsuit against you.

Underinsured Motorist:

If someone else hurts you in a car wreck, this coverage (purchased by you from your own insurance company) will pay in the event that the at fault driver’s coverage is insufficient to pay for the personal injuries that you suffer in the wreck. This is optional coverage that you must request from your insurance company.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage:

If someone else hurts you in a car wreck and they have no insurance, this coverage (purchased by you from your own insurance company) will pay for the personal injuries that you suffer in the wreck, just like the other person had insurance. While this is required coverage, you may reject it.

Umbrella Coverage:

This coverage supplements your own insurance in both liability situations (where you are at fault) and in situations where the other party does not have enough insurance (underinsured) or has no insurance at all (uninsured). It has the effect of increasing the coverage limits on your insurance. Typically, an insurance company will require larger liability limits ($250,000/$500,000) before they will issue an umbrella policy.

 

WHAT COVERAGE SHOULD YOU HAVE?

Every situation is different. What makes sense for a single person in college may not make for a family of five. However, a good plan involves added PIP, the inclusion of both underinsured AND uninsured coverage, added property damage coverage and sufficient collision coverage to get you back on the road in the event your car is totaled.

  • Collision – $50,000 per accident
  • Property Damage Liability – $50,000 per accident
  • No-fault/PIP/BRB – $40,000 per vehicle
  • Bodily Injury Liability – $100,000 per person/$300,00 per accident
  • Uninsured Motorist – $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident
  • Underinsured Motorist – $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident

 

Medical Negligence

A bad medical result does not mean that a medical professional was negligent. Many times, someone can have a bad result despite the best medical practice. However, medical professionals should be responsible for their negligent acts that cause injury. If you or someone that you know has been injured through a medical professional not.

 

Trucking Cases

Wrecks involving commercial motor vehicles (18 wheelers, some dump trucks, busses and the like) should not be handled like any other wreck. There are a number of regulations collectively called the Motor Carrier Safety Regulations that govern commercial motor vehicles and their drivers. The regulations deal with everything from the amount of tread on the tires to the number of hours the driver can be behind the wheel. If you are involved in a wreck involving a commercial motor vehicle, you should act quickly and get an attorney who knows how to handle wrecks involving commercial motor vehicles. Ask about the number and types of commercial motor vehicle cases they have handed in the past. If quick action is taken, valuable information can be discovered and preserved. If too much time passes, the trucking company can legally discard certain crucial evidence.