Having represented car accident victims for more than thirty-six years, I have been astonished at the benefits people leave on the table. Sometimes the injured parties attempt to represent themselves and other times they have attorneys.
The bottom-line is that there are some complexities to such cases and sometimes one has to be a little pushy to maximize the recovery they are legally entitled to.
Available Insurance Coverages
The following list is not comprehensive (You should really meet with a lawyer whether you intend to hire one or not as each case has its own unique features) but here goes.
1. P.I.P. and Medpay. Many people know about P.I.P. which is a limited no-fault benefit for paying medical bills, lost wages and presciption costs. Typically in Maryland it comes in $2500.00 increments up to $10,000.00. It once was a mandatory benefit but now can be waived or eliminated by the policyholder, ostensibly to save money. The wage benefit pays 85% of one's gross (pre-tax) lost wages. Medpay is kind of p.i.p. exclusively for medical bills
2. Workers compensation and/or disability benefits. Just because your car crash happened while working doesn't guarantee you receive workers compensation as the so-called "coming and going rule" may prevent you in Maryland but if you are driving for your work then you can get the whole panoply of workers compensation benefits including lost wages, payment of medical expenses, payment of prescriptions and mileage to and from healthcare providers. How these benefits are deployed can effect what the victim of a car crash puts in their pocket. See a lawyer about this! Similarly, short or long term disability benefits can allay lost income and in some instances medical expenses.
3. Uninsured/underinsured motorist benefits. Despite mandatory insurance laws, many drivers let their policies lapse and the only way you will get paid for your injuries is through your own coverage. Furthermore, this benefit can add more money to any claim you make against another driver's insurance where the value of your claim is more than the insurance coverage held by the at-fault driver and wherein your underinsured motorist coverage is more than the at-fault driver's liability coverage.
The interplay of P.I.P., workers comp, disability and underinsured/unisured motorist coverage is a thicket of problems so see a lawyer to ensure you recive all of the compensation and benefits you are legally entitled to.
Speak To A Maryland Accident Attorney Today
If you have any questions about insurance coverages for your car accident case, submit a contact form or call the lawyers at Clark & Steinhorn at 301-317-1001
