Queens Underinsured Motorist Accidents Lawyer

Anyone who drives on New York roadways must have auto insurance. That is the law. However, suppose a driver carries insurance as required by the law and then negligently causes you to suffer a severe injury such as a spinal cord injury, head injury, broken or crushed bones, an amputation, or a brain injury. Just because an insured driver injures you does not mean that his insurance will be sufficient to cover all of your medical bills and other losses. While the law requires drivers to carry insurance, it does not require drivers to carry maximum insurance. Drivers must carry minimum insurance which is often insufficient. If you were injured in a car accident by a driver who was underinsured, contact an experienced Queens underinsured motorist accidents lawyer who can advise you of your legal options for pursing a personal injury claim to cover your losses that are not covered by insurance.

New York's Auto Insurance Requirements

New York law requires that drivers carry New York State issued automobile liability insurance coverage. There are minimum amounts of insurance that drivers must have:

• $25,000 for injuries to one person and $50,000 for the death of one person in one car accident
• $50,000 for injuries to multiple people and $100,000 for deaths of multiple people in one car accident
• $10,000 for property damage in one car accident

However, if a driver only carries the minimum coverage, that may not be enough to pay for damages suffered in a serious accident.

If you are injured in an accident and the other driver is underinsured, you may still be able to recover damages from your own underinsured motorist policy. New York insurance companies offer a variety of types of auto insurance including underinsured motorist coverage. Underinsured motorist coverage will pay for damages if you are injured in a car accident caused by another person who does not have sufficient liability insurance. The amount of compensation that you will receive will be based on the amount of the damages you suffered, the amount of liability insurance the negligent driver has, and the amount of underinsured coverage you have. As long as you have chosen sufficient policy limits, your underinsured coverage will cover your medical bills and bodily injury. To learn about additional options for making sure your losses are covered, contact an experienced Queens underinsured motorist accidents lawyer.

Types of Compensation

Car accidents leave victims with serious injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, injuries to the back and spine, broken bones, and injuries to internal organs. Such serious injuries will result in significant medical bills as well as missed work. Thus, you will seek to recover the following losses:

• Medical bills. Depending on the severity of your injuries, your medical bills may be substantial. They may include emergency room fees as well as fees associated with a stay in the hospital. Plus, your treatment may require surgeries and the services of specialists. The total costs of your treatment may exceed what your health insurance covers. You will need for the defendant to cover the excess. As an experienced Queens underinsured motorist accidents lawyer will explain, with a serious injury such as a traumatic brain injury or a severe spinal injury, your medical bills will quickly exceed the minimum insurance requirement of $25,000.
• Lost wages. Because a serious injury will require you to miss quite a few days of work, it is important for you to be compensated for lost wages. However, your recovery will be capped by the limits of the negligent person's policy and your underinsured motorist policy.
• Pain and suffering. Pain and suffering damages are non-economic damages that are commonly awarded in to compensation victims for both the physical pain they endured and the psychological impact of experiencing an horrific accident and suffering serious injuries.

Contact a Underinsured Motorist Accidents Attorney in Queens

A car accident may leave you with both physical injuries and financial stress. If the at-fault driver was underinsured, the amount of recovery that you may be able to receive from their insurance company may not cover your losses. However, there may be other options to pursue that may result in your receiving additional compensation. The staff at Stephen Bilkis & Associates has extensive experience representing clients injured in auto accidents in cases where the negligent driver was uninsured or underinsured. Contact us an experienced underinsured motorist accidents attorney serving Queens at 800.696.9529 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation regarding your car accident. We serve clients in the following locations: Queens, Westchester County, Suffolk County, Staten Island, Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, Manhattan, and Nassau County.

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