What One Attorney Wants You to Know About NYS No-Fault Laws

PORT JEFFERSON, N.Y. - Feb. 19, 2015 - PRLog -- When it comes to car accidents New York is a no-fault State.  This simple phrase, no-fault, confuses many people and it's even been the source of arguments with potential clients who find it counter-intuitive.  I've sought to untangle erroneous notions of its perception from what people think it means to what it actually means.

People wonder if they were not at fault in a car accident, why then does their insurance company pay their medical bills?  I've had clients insist that I must have it wrong; that the other guys insurance must be responsible.  They don't want their rates to go up, they don't want to use their benefits.

Simply put, no-fault means that regardless of who is at fault in a car accident, each party goes "first party" (uses their host insurance company) for their medical bills, in fact for their entire economic loss. The system was designed to quickly compensate car accident victims who would otherwise wrangle with the other driver’s insurance company if one could even be located. The thinking was that everyone knows (in most cases) who their own insurance company is so let them make the claim to their insurance company and the insurance companies can sort it all out in the end.

I take particular issue when clients are afraid to make a claim against their own insurance company for fear of their rates going up.  This seems a lot to me like sleeping on the floor instead of your bed for fear that the mattress will eventually sag or not driving your car for fear of putting miles on it.  The consumer value of insurance is to provide coverage when it's needed and if you're injured in a car accident it's certainly needed.  Call us if you have any questions about No-Fault.

If you are involved in a car accident call Matthew A. Glassman, Attorney at Law. 631-331-8071 (denied:tel:6313318071)
http://mglassmanlaw.com/auto/408877