According to the NY Post today, a car going through a red light in Brooklyn struck a NYC Bus injuring a dozen people including several passengers on the bus.The injured victims were taken to Lutheran Medical Center and Kings County Hospital.
Unfortunately, when one driver causes so much collateral damage, there may be limited insurance coverage available to adequately compensate all the injured victims.New York State law still permits drivers to obtain minimal coverage which is a 25/50 thousand dollar insurance policy. This means 25 thousand is available per person with a total amount of 50 thousand for all injured people in one accident.
Many people think it is better to pay low premiums for car insurance with just a 25 thousand dollar policy.However, if a person in an accident causes injuries worth more than the 25 thousand dollar policy, the injured person may decide not to settle a case of negligence within the policy limits and go to trial.If for example a jury renders a verdict for 100 thousand, the insurance carrier will have to give the 25 thousand dollar policy to the injured party and the defendant will still be liable for the 75 thousand dollar balance which verdict will be submitted to a judgment.That judgment can be used to garnish wages, take assets, and ruin credit against the defendant for up to 20 years.
Under New York State law, the owner of the vehicle is also liable for the acts of the driver assuming the car was given with permission.In other words, if you lend your car to a friend or family member to drive, you may be responsible for whatever damage is caused by his or her negligent conduct.
If you or a family member were injured in a car accident, you should immediately call an experienced New York personal injury lawyer to get legal advice.At Brand Brand Nomberg & Rosenbaum, LLP, we give free consultations and there is no attorney fee unless we win.The out of pocket costs of litigating a case remain the responsibility of the client under NYS law.
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