Serious Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

When you purchase automobile insurance, you do so not only to protect yourself in the event that you caused or contributed to an accident that resulted in an injury to another, but also to receive benefits in case you were injured as a result of the carelessness of another.

One of the protections you may have purchased in your insurance policy results in payment of your property damage, less a deductable, caused to your car as a result of the carelessness of another. Perhaps the biggest benefit of collision coverage, is that you personally do not have to argue with the wrongdoer’s insurance carrier in the event that they are denying that their insured was the exclusive cause of the accident contributing to the property damage. Instead, if you have collision coverage, you can call your insurance carrier and they will have your car repaired in accordance with the terms of that coverage. Additionally, if you purchased collision coverage, you most likely also have rental car coverage. This coverage would require your own insurance company to provide payments to permit you to rent a car during the time period that your vehicle is being repaired.

Other “first party” coverages available to you in the event of an automobile collision are personal injury protection (PIP) or Medical Payment coverage (Medpay). Personal injury protection coverage ordinarily provides benefits for medical services provided as well as wages lost as a result of the collision. Medical Payment coverage is exactly as it sounds. This coverage provides reimbursement for medical bills incurred as a result of damages sustained in the collision. Both PIP and Medpay coverage payments are made by your own insurance carrier and do not affect your right to recover for the very same medical bills and lost wages from the wrongdoer.

by Ira Sherman