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If you have been injured in an accident, your top priority should be to follow the advice of your doctor and get better. However, medical visits physical therapy, and medications can be expensive and you are probably wondering how you are going to pay for the treatments you need.

The amount of money you can recover from an insurance company will depend on the type of injuries that you have and whether those injuries have resulted in chronic problems. 

When you are injured in an accident, your insurance company should pay for your injuries, but collecting money for chronic problems lost wages, and pain and suffering may be difficult.

There is not a set dollar amount that you will receive in a personal injury case. To get the money that you deserve, you will need to hire an experienced personal injury attorney. It also helps to know a bit about insurance law in New York and the criteria for payouts.

Insurance Rules in New York 

There are two different kinds of auto insurance rules in the U.S.; fault and no-fault. In a fault state, the person who is responsible for the accident is considered responsible for its related bills. In a no-fault state, a driver’s own insurance company will pay the bills, no matter who is at fault.

Drivers in New York are required to carry liability insurance in case they are involved in an accident. A driver must carry $25,000 of insurance for injury to one person and $50,000 of insurance for injury to more than one person. They must also carry $10,000 for damage to property.

If you are injured in a slip and fall accident, you may be able to sue the business or homeowner for negligence. If you are injured at work and worker’s comp refuses to pay or pays too little, you may be able to sue.

What an Insurance Company Will Cover

An insurance company should pay you for your medical bills and reimburse you for co-payments and the cost of both prescription and non-prescription drugs. They should be able to cover you for lost wages as well.

Things get considerably more complicated if your injuries will require further care. You may be entitled to money for ongoing treatment and time that you will miss from work. 

If your injuries exceed the amount of money that you are covered for and the accident was not your fault, you may be able to sue the at-fault driver’s insurance company. If you are permanently disfigured, the at-fault driver may also have to pay you for pain and suffering. 

When a pedestrian is hit by a car, the driver’s insurance company may have to pay if the driver was at fault.

If you are unable to continue working at your current job because of your injuries, you may be entitled to more money than you would be if you were able to continue in your current career.

What Insurance Companies Want

When you call your insurance company, they will ask you questions about your accident and your injuries. Some of those questions may be designed to trip you up, so they can keep their money in-house. 

When a person is injured, an insurance company may try to establish that some of the injuries were pre-existing or some of the treatments for the injuries are not warranted. Therefore you will need the assistance of a professional New York personal injury attorney who can negotiate with an insurance adjuster on your behalf.

 A trained attorney will know how to get you the maximum amount of money for your injuries. visit hlgny.com for more information.

Authoritative Sources:

https://dmv.ny.gov/insurance/insurance-requirements

https://www.cigna.com/individuals-families/understanding-insurance/what-is-a-pre-existing-condition#:~:text=A%20medical%20illness%20or%20injury,be%20chronic%20or%20long%2Dterm.

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