Personal Injury Lawyers, Protection, Legal Expertise, Advice, Claims - Seite 2 
Who Can File a Car Accident Lawsuit and against Whom?
If necessary a car accident lawsuit may be filed against the following indviduals:The driver: The vehicle’s driver would be primarily responsible for their negligence. The victim may choose to file a lawsuit against them for causing the accident and resultant damages.The owner of the car: In most cases, the owner of the vehicle cannot be directly held directly liable for the negligence of the driver, unless specified otherwise by the law. To recover damages from the owner of the car, the victim must prove that the owner negligently entrusted his vehicle to the driver, or that the owner of the vehicle had direct control over the actions of the driver or over the vehicle. Some state laws may hold the owner liable if the driver was driving with his consent. Some state laws also allow a lawsuit to be filed against the vehicle owner who allows a member of the family to drive and whose negligent actions caused the accident. Can passengers sue the driver of the vehicle they were in?In most cases, the driver of the car with passengers or guests can be sued for negligent actions that resulted in injury of the passengers or guests. In states with a guest statute in place, the non-paying passengers must prove that the driver was grossly negligent. Can passengers be sued by an injured party?Under certain circumstances car accident lawsuits can be filed by and against the passengers and guests under the joint adventure theory. A simple way to demonstrate joint adventure is a trip by the driver and the guest or passenger for a common purpose. Under the joint adventure theory, the driver’s negligence may be imputed to a guest, passenger or , in other words, a joint adventurer. Therefore, the victim does not need to show independent negligence by the guest or passenger, and the lawsuit may be based on the driver’s negligence. Employers: If an accident was caused by a worker acting within his course and scope of employment, the victim may be able to file a lawsuit against the employer of the driver. Car Accident Attorneys If you have been involved in a car accident, and have doubts about who should be sued for causing the accident and resultant damages you should consult an experienced attorney in your area who can help you build a strong case and get you the compensation you deserve.If you have been injured in a St. Louis car accident, call The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C. at (314) 361-4242 to speak with an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney who will give you the one on one assistance you need. Source : http://www.lawyer.com/a/who-can-file-a-car-accident-lawsuit-and-against-whom.html
The age-old adage “hindsight is 20/20” tends to hold true in life as well as in personal injury cases. Oftentimes clients tell me they wish they would have known the significance of taking certain action after being the victim of a car crash. It is important to realize that after you are involved in a car crash, the insurance company commences an investigation immediately. I constantly encounter situations where a person is the victim of a car crash in the morning and a mere hour later is receiving numerous phone calls from the insurance company requesting a recorded statement. Navigating conversations with the at-fault party’s insurance company and even your own insurance company can be complicated and overwhelming. That is why speaking with an attorney as soon as possible after suffering any type of personal injury is imperative. There are also several critical pieces of information that you should remember when pursuing your claim to maximize your recovery. PHOTOS OF YOUR VEHICLE & YOUR INJURIESPictures really are worth a thousand words. Few things can illustrate the significance of a crash or of the injuries you’ve suffered like a good photograph. Don’t depend on police officers, your insurance company, or anyone else to take photographs for you. With technology today, the camera on your cell phone can ensure that those images are captured immediately following the incident. In addition, you should take photos of your vehicle from different angles in order to best demonstrate the extent of the damage. Documenting your physical injuries immediately after the incident is also important. Bruises, abrasions and other evidence of physical injuries may fade over time and be relatively non-existent by the time your case goes to trial. Photographs documenting the severity of your injuries and the healing process you underwent in a timeline can be very powerful evidence down the road in your case.DOCUMENTATION & RECORD KEEPINGKeeping important documents is crucial, especially if you find yourself in a position where you do not hire an attorney immediately following an accident. Maintain a record of people you spoke with or who you may have given a recorded statement to and the names of any witnesses to the crash. Oftentimes following a collision things move so quickly that a client may give a recorded statement regarding the details of the crash without giving much consideration to how that statement might affect his or her case in the future. Having an attorney immediately following an accident to help navigate you through these initial phases of a case will put your mind at ease.OPEN COMMUNICATION & CANDOROf course, the attorney-client relationship is based on maintaining open lines of communication. That means, it’s important to be upfront and honest with your attorney about your case, your injuries and any prior history you may have. Keeping information from your attorney that you feel might be harmful to your case is never a good idea. For starters, whatever information you shield from your attorney will undoubtedly be discovered by the insurance company and/or defense attorney. Moreover, intentionally distorting your past thwarts your attorneys ability to properly pursue you case. Taking the time to sit down with your attorney and thoughtfully answer questions about prior accidents, medical conditions or past injuries you sustained will allow your attorney to formulate the best strategy for maximizing your recovery.As the client, you have the ability to positively influence the ultimate outcome of your case. This can be done simply by being prompt to meetings and doctor’s appointments. Insurance companies will attempt to “poke holes” at your case in any way possible. Things like missing a doctor’s appointment and having a gap in medical treatment allows the defense to easily argue against compensating you for your injuries. Being forthcoming with your attorney and asking questions about the process when you need guidance will also help in successfully litigating your case. At Dolman Law Group, we handle a variety of personal injury cases and have both the experience and resources to pursue your claim. For more information call 727-451-6900.Dolman Law Group800 North Belcher RoadClearwater, FL 33765727-451-6900
Personal Injury Attorney in Omaha, NE
My practice as an Omaha NE personal injury lawyer can benefit you, if you have been injured in a car accident, at work or due to negligence. Healing should be your main concern; not contending with paperwork, opposing attorneys and insurance companies. Your personal injury law attorney in Omaha: ready to fight for you. Call 866-787-2598 now for your free consultation! Let us fight the insurance companies for youWhen you choose our personal injury law attorney in Omaha, you will have the benefit of the experience needed to guide your accident case. When you are suffering from serious injuries and dealing with the financial fallout, the last thing that you want to do is deal with an insurance company who may be reluctant to pay. Let us take that burden off of your shoulders and handle your claim for you. How to Work With Your Personal Injury Law Attorney in Omaha You should connect with your lawyer as quickly as possible following your accident. While this may be far from your mind when you are injured, you will give yourself the advantage of having a lawyer involved from the very beginning. This ensures that you do not miss any important legal deadlines and that your case moves along toward a successful resolution. Your Personal Injury Law Attorney in Omaha: Insurance ClaimsThe insurance process begins when you make a formal claim for compensation from the responsible party’s insurance company. Your attorney will provide the insurance company with certain information about your claim, including documentation of your injuries and the expenses that you have incurred as a result of being hurt.Negotiating for YouYour Personal Injury Law Attorney in Omaha: the Lawsuit Process If a negotiated settlement is not possible, or does not result in an offer from the insurance company that is acceptable to you, you can direct your attorney to file a lawsuit in order to pursue your claim. Once you have filed a formal lawsuit, an exchange of information between both sides will go on. Your lawyer will handle requests for documents, interrogatories (written questions), and depositions, which is the oral questioning of witnesses and those directly involved. If settlement does not occur prior to a court date which has been set, then the case proceeds to trial to determine who is legally responsible, and how much financial compensation is appropriate in your case. Your Personal Injury Law Attorney in Omaha: Resolving Your CaseYour case can be resolved in two ways, either through settlement or a court trial. The vast majority of cases end in a settlement, but many go to trial, too. As a result, you want a qualified lawyer who can not only effectively negotiate on your behalf, but who is not afraid to take your case to trial and battle the insurance company for the compensation that you deserve.We are never afraid to take insurers to court.Contact us at 866-787-2598 now to schedule your free initial case consultation!Terrence Salerno Law is a personal injury law firm in Omaha, NE and Council Bluffs, IA. Please do not take the information contained on this site as legal advice. We cannot make any promises as to the final outcome of your case.
Recovering for Personal Injury Caused By A Loaner Car Crash in California
Recovering for personal injury caused by a loaner car crash in California can be tricky! As a California car accident attorney, this is one of the most common traffic collision scenarios that I see. The registered owner of a motor vehicle loans their automobile to a third party who then wrecks the car, causing property damage and bodily harm to the victim. What are the accident victim’s options for recovery of medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and all the other remedies to which they may be entitled. As we know from my prior posts, every person in California is responsible for their own actions or in actions and can be held liable if they fail to act reasonably (i.e. if they are negligent) but, as we also know, we need to find a pocket from which to collect damages, if we hope to successfully obtain compensation and that usually comes in the form of automobile insurance coverage. The first thing a good personal injury attorney would explore in this situation is if there was insurance coverage for the driver themselves that may apply. Oftentimes, however, there is no coverage or limited coverage and the lawyer must also analyze the following: California Liability for the Permissive Use of an AutomobileCalifornia Vehicle Code section 17150 provides as follows: “Every owner of a motor vehicle is liable and responsible for death or injury to person or property resulting from a negligent or wrongful act or omission in the operation of the motor vehicle, in the business of the owner or otherwise, by any person using or operating the same with the permission, express or implied, of the owner.” Therefore, if the injured person is harmed by a loaned vehicle, the owner is responsible so long as the following are proven: The driver was negligent The owner was on the registration to the vehicle at the time of the accident; and The driver was operating the vehicle with the consent of the owner (which can be shown by words, conduct or factoring in any relationship between the owner and the driver) The caveat here is found in CA Veh. Code 17151(a) which can limit the owner’s total liability exposure to $15,000 per injury (in the case of one claimant), $30,000 for bodily damages (in the case of multiple claimants) and $5,000 for damage to property.Negligent Entrustment of a Motor Vehicle Under CA LawOftentimes, serious and catastrophic injuries with medical expenses and emotional tolls or, worse yet, a death occurs as a result of a freeway or surface street smash up. Victims and their families in these instances are clearly entitled to more than just $15-30,000 in bodily injury compensation. Can they ever recover more than this? Depending upon the facts, the answer is YES. In addition to simply showing that the car was being driven by a negligent operator with the permission of the registered owner, the plaintiff would need to show that the owner was also negligent in loaning the automobile to the driver. This is what is known as a negligent entrustment theory of recovery and requires proving the following: The driver was negligent The driver was controlling the vehicle with the owner’s consent The owner knew or should have known that the driver was incompetent or unfit to drive the vehicle The unfitness or incompetence of the driver was more than just a trivial factor in causing harm to the injured party This would allow for the wounded person to recover for beyond just the “permissive user” limits. It would also invoke a duty on the part of the owner’s insurance carrier to defend the claim fully and to pay in excess of the 15/30 limits for injury if the negligent entrustment theory has merit. Facts sufficient to prove this theory can come in many forms but, the most common is the “designated driver” scenario where an intoxicated vehicle owner allows someone else to operate their motor vehicle but, that person is also under the influence of alcohol or drugs and the owner knows or SHOULD know that they are drunk or “buzzed”. Other instances may include an owner who knows or should have known a driver has no license, a bad driving record, a history of accidents, a disability such as being prone to seizures or having problems with their eye sight, hearing or other issues that affect their ability to drive. Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist ClaimsThe other issue that should always be analyzed in the case of a loaner car crash is the ability to seek compensation or additional moneys from the injured party’s own auto insurance company. Uninsured motorist coverage may apply where, for whatever reasons, the above theories do not apply and there is no insurance coverage for the loaner vehicle. Additionally, if the facts are such that there is liability but, this is limited to the $15,000/$30,000, an underinsured motorist claim may be made if the policy of the injured person has coverage in excess of these amounts. (e.g. if the person harmed has coverage of $100,000 for bodily injury, they would be able to exhaust the $15,000 in liability for the permissive owner and then collect an additional $85,000 assuming the value of their claim justified this additional recovery). Importance of Hiring A California Personal Injury Lawyer Familiar With Loaner Car AccidentsThese issues get tricky. Full recovery in loaner auto crashes requires full and complete analysis of the facts surrounding the incident, investigation of the driver and the owner to determine the circumstances and scope of the permission to use the car and the relationship between the driver and owner (e.gs. Are they relatives? Did the owner know the person to whom he loaned his car? Were the driver and owner out drinking or partying that night?). Competent legal counsel can also fully analyze coverage for the driver, the owner and the injured party (in the case of UM and UIM claims). This makes it critically important to hire a good attorney and to do so sooner rather than later!For Immediate Assistance, Call866-229-0101YOU ARE NOT ALONE! THERE IS HOPE! Contact Us: California Accident Attorneys: FREE case evaluation from lawyers that actually care!
Common Truck Accident causes in Clearwater
Tractor-trailers, or any commercial truck for that matter, are essential to the American economy. However, as our economy recovers and more and more tractor-trailers travel American highways, these mechanical mammoths need to have more and more competent operators behind the wheel. Unfortunately, when there is a buck to be made, people, including truck carriers, will often turn the other cheek to potentially make a few extra dollars. Practices such as hiring unqualified drivers, violating national hour of service laws, and rigging log books all can lead to accidents that seriously injure innocent citizens. COMMON CAUSES OF TRUCKING ACCIDENTSDrunk driving: Believe it or not, drunk truck drivers are a main cause of trucking accidents. Drug use is also a problem amongst truck drivers, especially methamphetamine, which is used to get a truck driver through a dangerously long haul.Distracted Driver: We are living in the technology age, and while this has many, many benefits, there are also some downsides. One of them being the constant need to be connected and checking of cell phones. Just like us, truck drivers have cell phones that they check while driving, along with other devices in their cockpit such as radios and dispatch devices.Driver Fatigue: A very common problem amongst truck drivers due to the nature of their job, driver fatigue has been a target of recent legislation limiting truck drivers’ drive times. However, most drivers will attempt to get around the laws by fudging their log books. Also, the new legal amount of operation time for a driver is still a long time without sleep.Illegal Maneuver: Tractor-trailers are extremely large vehicles, and when they are not operated properly they can cause serious damage. An illegal maneuver such as rolling through a stop sign, yielding at an intersection, or failing to check if lane is clear before switching can mean damage.Mechanical Error: Being the large machines that tractor-trailers are, they also have a lot of parts. If these parts are not maintained properly, they can malfunction and cause an accident. Worn out tires, faulty brakes, or other defective parts will lead to an accident.Poor weather conditions: During severe weather, such as torrential downpours, heavy fog, snow storms, or icy weather can severely hinder a trucker’s ability to operate their rig. Also, due to poor road conditions, it can affect the time it takes for a truck to slow down and stop as well.Overloaded cargo: If a truck is overloaded with cargo, it will affect the way the truck handles and can cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle. Also, overloaded cargo may not be properly secured and cause the cargo to spill out of the truck, and become hazardous to other drivers.CONTACT PINELLAS COUNTY TRUCKING ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS DOLMAN LAW GROUPWhen tractor-trailers are involved in accidents with regular motor vehicles, the results can be deadly. This summer, famous comedian and actor Tracy Morgan was involved in a collision with a tractor-trailer that killed one of his friends, and he has kept him in the hospital. It was found the driver of the truck suffered from extreme fatigue at the time of the accident.If you, a loved one, or someone you know was seriously injured in a trucking accident that you believe was caused by a negligent driver, you may be entitled to compensation. Our experienced trucking accident attorneys at Dolman Law Group will aggressively fight to hold those negligent responsible for the accidents they have caused and will get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free and confidential consultation at 727-451-6900 or via our online contact form.Dolman Law Group800 North Belcher RoadClearwater, FL 33765727-451-6900 Visit: http://www.dolmanlaw.com/practice-area/truck-accident/
How do I Avoid a Collision with a Car Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road?
Accidents caused due to the mistake of others can be disastrous. If a survey has to be believed, very few accidents are caused due to collision with cars driving on the wrong side of the road. Though the stats suggest that such events are rare, when they do occur, the damaged caused is tremendous. Tips to Avoid a Collision Driving on the wrong side is against the law; however you will still find people doing so. Even though you are in an emergency situation, driving on the wrong side of the road should be completely avoided. Correct Yourself If you see a driver driving on the wrong side, it is likely that he will pull over to the right lane i.e. the slow lane. Though this is done out of ignorance, you should try to save yourself. Get to the right side of the wrong and pull over. You can wait till the car has passed you and then begin driving. Use High Beams Getting the other driver’s attention is a must. You can honk to grab their attention, however this attempt may become futile if the other speeding away too fast. The other option can be to flash your high beams. Continuously keep doing this, until the driver realizes he is driving on the wrong side of the road, and will soon get into a collision, if he doesn’t pull over. Call for Help If all your attempts fail, you should immediately call for help before any unfortunate event takes place. Call 911 and report the incident. This way the authorities will be able to avoid any accident that may be caused. Once you have arranged for such assistance, you can get back to your vehicle and continue driving. Such accidents, though rare, can be fatal. You need to be alert while driving, and if you spot any such incident, kindly report it. As per National Transportation Safety Board, such accidents occur during night and during weekends. There can be navigation system alerts that inform drivers of wrong way movements on the highway, so that safety can be enhanced.
Assisting Victims of Sexual Assault in California
Assisting the victims of sexual assault is one of the most difficult yet rewarding tasks that I face as a California lawyer. Being raped, molested, battered or abused is one of the most traumatic events that any person can experience and trying to sift through the evidence and piece together what happened and who may be legally responsible for payment of money damages to the victim is arduous. People lie, cover ups are the norm, and finding answers seems almost impossible at the onset. If a lawyer is persistent and aggressive, however, the light will be forced to shine and the truth can be revealed, which can then force those persons responsible to admit their faults and compensate the victim so that they can use these resources to move on with their lives. I thought I would share a few of these success stories as examples of being able to assist: Jane Doe 1: I had a client once who called me from a Motel 6 room. She was living there in complete fear for her life as she had been sexually assaulted two days prior while trying to access a storage locker. At the time she rented the locker, she advised the owners that she was a single mother trying to run a small business selling goods at a swap meet and needed to come and go at all hours to store and retrieve inventory. She was assured that: 1) the facility had a secure and functioning front gate with electronic access only to patrons; 2) security cameras were located throughout the property; 3) that there as a "full time" security guard on the property. We later found out that the front gate had enough of a delay that several cars could follow any person into the property after entry, the security cameras were "dummy" cameras "just for show" and that the security guard on duty clocked in on the evening of the incident and then just left, without any reason. My client was severely injured and scared to go back to her apartment as the perpetrators had her wallet with her driver's license. I found her good doctors to treat her, I found her a new place to live, I tried to comfort her the best I could. I then spent the next year getting to the bottom of the negligent security problems for this property. I was fought at every instance, witnesses refused to cooperate and be deposed without a court order, the defendant tried to stall the case until the criminal prosecution was "complete", knowing good and well that the perpetrators had fled to Mexico and would probably never be found and the investigation had no end in sight. Finally, I was sitting in my office at about 4:30 p.m. on a Friday afternoon feeling exhausted by the week's "battle" when I got a call from the defense attorney. He said, "Well I don't want to do this but, I have been instructed to offer you our policy limit of $1,000,000.00". A few weeks later, I gave my client a check for a significant six figure sum. She could not be more thankful. She said she was going to use the money to provide for her future medical expenses, move to a better part of town, and help put her son (a straight A high school student) through college. I had done my job!! John Doe: Persons with physical or mental incapacity or limitations seem particularly vulnerable to falling prey to sexual predators. This was the case with John Doe. Placed in a private mental health care facility on a 72 hour hold (so-called "5150 hold" due to being a "danger to himself or others"). Obviously, persons who suffer mental breakdowns like this are in a delicate state when presenting themselves to the care of what should be medical professionals. In this case, the "professionals" (namely a male medical staff person) took full advantage of the situation and committed multiples rape on the victim at the facility. I wish I could say this was the first (or last) time I have seen this exact scenario play out (I am presently litigating claims with the exact same facts as I write this blog post). John Doe was, needless to say, scared and distraught at his ordeal. At the time and hour he needed comfort and care the most, he was violated and his condition was made even worse. The medical facility immediately began denying any responsibility or prior knowledge that their employee had any inclination to commit such a "heinous act". Through depositions and discovery, though, it was revealed that this was not, in fact, the first accusation of sexually inappropriate conduct by this individual perpetrated against a patient. In fact, there had been several prior instances but, these were "unsubstantiated" (as defined by not having a witness to the event other than the victims). I didn't buy this nonsense argument and I didn't think a jury would either. After almost two years of hard fought litigation, I was able to convince the hospital which employed this individual that their position was simply not going to fly at trial. A significant seven figure amount was negotiated to resolve these claims. A client received a just and fair amount for his suffering. I had done my job!! Importance of seeking the help and aid of a lawyer after suffering sexual assault or abuse: These instances go to show that in the darkest of times, the victim of sexual assault or abuse cannot go it alone. Doing so will simply serve to continue the pattern of depression and desperation that can make one spiral out of control. Seeking prompt help in the form of psychiatric professionals is key to wellness. Likewise, seeking the advice, counsel and aid of an attorney who is willing to stand up and fight the good fight to reveal the truth and to make the legally responsible parties pay for their wrongful conduct and negligence is equally as important. It brings a sense of justice to the victims, it deters the responsible parties from ever letting something like this happen again, and it brings a sense of closure to the situation by providing financial resources to allow people to find hope for the future. This is the job and I am glad to do my part!
Three Signs You May Not Be To Blame for a Slip and Fall Accident
From the time you first hit the ground, others may have been trying to convince you that your fall injury at a Bay Park Square store, in a shop in the Olde Main District, or elsewhere in Green Bay was your fault. The store manager may have said something like, “Surely you noticed the water,” or the insurance adjuster may ask, “You were on your phone at the time you fell, right? How could you even see what was in front of you?” Don’t Let Them Change the FactsDo not agree to what they are saying and admit that you were negligent until you stop and think about the situation. You might not have seen the water or you may have been your phone. This does not necessarily make the slip and fall accident your fault. Instead, consider what really happened: Was any warning provided about the danger? For example, was there warning tape or a wet floor sign in the area? Was the danger open and obvious, or more subtle? Was it hard to see or easy to detect? Had the danger been there for a long period of time? Was it a new problem that occurred shortly before your injury, or an ongoing problem? If there was no warning, if the danger was hard to detect, and if the property manager knew about or should have known about the risk, then the accident might not have been your fault and you may be entitled to a legal recovery. Know For SureBefore you talk to the insurance adjuster or settle your case it is important to know what really caused your injury. To find out more, please start an online chat with us today. We would be pleased to provide you with a free consultation about your rights and possible recovery.
Crosswalks can still pose a danger to those on foot
How many of us who cross busy streets daily have been buzzed at one time or another in the crosswalk by a car whose driver apparently just couldn’t wait for the walker to clear the road?Too many, it turns out. And most of the time, all you can do is shake it off, clench your teeth and bite your lip. Unfortunately, pedestrians in our automobile-dominated culture are too often ignored in this manner. Sometimes the results are tragic. St. Louis is one of the U.S. cities whose rate of pedestrian injuries or deaths has grabbed the attention of the Federal Highway Administration. The agency has included it among its so-called “focus cities” that require extra attention to shore up safety.“I think everyone is just starting to become aware of this pedestrian-safety issue,” said Meredith Klekotka, TravelGreen manager at Trailnet Inc. in St. Louis.Americans are walking — and bicycling — more. So while motor vehicle crash fatalities are on the decline, the number of pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and deaths have been on the rise since 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.Part of the problem can be traced to our culture and part of it can be linked to the construction of St. Louis roads, which were designed for a larger city, she said. Pedestrians who cross downtown streets, for instance, can spend 80 to 90 feet in a street. Meantime, pedestrians may have to go well out of their way to cross at a downtown corner. As a result, we see a lot of dangerous mid-block crossings.Missouri’s pedestrian laws, meanwhile, are antiquated. They have been on the books since the mid-1960s, are not as tough as laws in other states and are “probably out of date,” Klekotka said.Making our streets safer for pedestrians will take a multipronged approach, according to safety advocates such as Klekotka. Laws will have to give police more authority to enforce crosswalk safety. Streets can be re-engineered to reduce a pedestrian’s exposure. (We have seen curb extensions that reduce the actual driving surface that needs to be crossed on foot.) And there is plenty of room for public education.On the national stage, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx has declared pedestrian and bicyclist safety a top department priority.Tougher laws don’t necessarily mean pedestrians would be safe. A survey released last week by the Active Transportation Alliance showed that drivers stopped less than 20 percent of the time when pedestrians tried to cross a street within a marked crosswalk. Compliance was lower on unmarked crossings, the group said.Chicago and the state of Illinois have “must stop” laws, requiring drivers to stop when someone is in a legal crosswalk.“In Chicago, we’ve got a long way to go before a lot of drivers even are aware of this law,” said Ted Villaire, a spokesman for the alliance. “It is not very good compliance.”
No Personal Injury Protection for Motorcycles in Maryland
If you drive a car in Maryland, your insurance must provide you with $2,500 coverage for personal injury protection. This is a small amount of mandatory no fault insurance coverage for drivers in Maryland. If you are in a car accident, your personal injury protection benefits (known as PIP) will pay your medical bills, and up to 80% of your lost wages. You can still file a personal injury lawsuit against the at fault driver, and recover your full damages in that case, but PIP will pay some immediate benefits in the meantime. However, Maryland law allows car insurance companies to deny this personal injury protection to motorcyclists. Consequently, almost no motorcycle policy in Maryland has personal injury protection benefits. If you are injured in a motorcycle accident, you will not receive the same level of benefits from your own insurance company as a driver of a car would receive. Many lawyers think this is unfair, and I bet most motorcyclists would also think this is an unfair law. If they passed a law extending personal injury protection benefits to motorcyclists, it would not cost the insurers much money, and they would just raise their motorcycle insurance rates to cover it. This has been the law for a very long time, and there are no signs that it will change anytime soon. Only the politicians in Annapolis can make such a change to the personal injury protection law. If you are a motorcyclist, you should write your delegate and state senator today and ask them where they stand on this issue. Chances are, they haven’t given it a moments thought. Maybe you could change their mind and change this rather unfair law.