If you set out on a New York highway and never reached your destination because another vehicle hit you, an otherwise uneventful trip may have become a day filled with chaos and stress, as well as physical pain if you suffered severe injuries. Rescuers hopefully arrived swiftly to the scene to render aid, including transporting you to the nearest hospital for treatment. The initial treatment is usually just the beginning of a person’s recovery, however, because a car accident can have far-reaching and lasting effects.
If you have suffered moderate to severe injuries in a car accident, your life might drastically change, either during the near future or permanently. You might have to take time off work during recovery. In fact, a serious injury might prevent you from ever returning to work. State law allows recovering victims to seek compensation for damages.
What types of damage are compensable in a car accident?
Every state has its own guidelines regarding personal injury claims. To ensure that they receive the maximum compensation for damages allowed by New York law, most accident victims seek experienced legal guidance before filing a claim. It’s best to do so, so that you can learn what type of financial recovery is available, and so that you can take a back seat in court while a personal advocate acts on your behalf to seek justice against the person or people who caused your injuries.
The following list includes numerous issues that constitute compensable damage in a New York car accident claim:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of potential earning power
- Decreased quality of life
- Loss of consortium (natural enjoyment of married life)
- Mental anguish
- Lost wages, medical expenses, housekeeping expenses not.covered by your own No-Fault insurance policy
New York is a No-Fault state
There are at least 12 states, including New York, that operate under no-fault rules when a car accident occurs. This means that your own insurance company will reimburse you for Lost Wages, medical mileage and housekeeping expenses, even if you were not at-fault in the collision. When you file a personal injury claim in this state, it is for losses that exceed no-fault benefits.
You’ll want to make sure you understand exactly which losses exceed such benefits to ensure that you receive the maximum amount of compensation allowed by law when you file a personal injury claim against an at-fault driver. The best way to do that is to call our office.