- September 17, 2024
- Tucker Law
- Car Accident Lawsuits
Car accidents are extremely stressful life events. However, they become even worse when you find out that someone is suing you because your insurance doesn’t cover their crash injury costs. This can be deeply upsetting. It’s also confusing if you don’t know much about how insurance works. Understanding insurance limits and liability in a crash is your first step in understanding how to protect yourself financially.
Being sued for car crash injury costs can be financially devastating. Fortunately, knowledge is powerful in this type of situation. Once you understand how an accident lawyer can help, you have options for protecting yourself in NYC in the face of a car accident injury lawsuit.
Understanding Car Accident Liability
When two drivers are involved in a car accident, one of them is deemed to be primarily at fault for the crash. You can be found to be the at-fault driver for many reasons. Most of them are related to breaking some type of driving law, like speeding, making an illegal turn, or driving under the influence.
Once you’re deemed to be at fault for the crash, you’re then liable for the other driver’s injury costs. At this point, your driver’s insurance policy should kick in and cover the injury costs. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always work out. Sometimes, serious car accident injuries can result in excessive costs. This is especially true when the injured person suffers catastrophic injuries or loses their earning ability as a result of the crash injuries.
When your insurance policy limits don’t fully cover the other driver’s injury costs, the other driver can file a lawsuit and sue you. If they’re successful, you face consequences that include losing your home or having your wages garnished.
Are you being sued over a car accident in NYC? Call Tucker Lawyers today at (516) 399-2364 to learn how one of our skilled car accident lawyers can help. Free consultations and no fees unless we win.
The Negotiation and Settlement Process
If you can’t avoid responsibility for a car accident but your insurance doesn’t cover the damage, a car accident lawyer can help you work toward a resolution. Lawsuits are time-consuming and costly, and most people prefer to avoid them. Your lawyer can enter into negotiations with the other driver’s lawyer.
Going through the negotiation and settlement process in NYC is often a practical way to avoid a car accident lawsuit.
Attempting negotiations to avoid a lawsuit can have mixed results. Outcomes often come down to case-specific factors. Specifically, how much money the other driver is trying to recover from you and how much money you’re able to contribute to a settlement are often key factors. Even if you have to agree to some type of long-term payment plan, negotiation might be an effective solution that leaves you paying less and lets you have a say in the outcome. The NYC lawsuit process does not provide you with these benefits, which is why negotiating is often the best method of protecting yourself when you’re facing a lawsuit.
The Lawsuit Process After a Car Accident
After a car accident, the injured person will try to file a claim with your auto insurance provider. If you carry only minimum coverage but the other driver faces significant injury costs, the amount they’re hoping to recover may far exceed your insurance policy limits. When they can’t recover the compensation they need through your insurance policy, they can initiate a lawsuit in New York City.
Car accident lawsuits involve a lengthy, multi-part process. Ultimately, the court will make a ruling on how much the injured person should recover. Whatever your insurance policy covers will kick in to pay for a part, but you’ll be left financially responsible for the remaining amount. If this is a few thousand dollars, it’s likely to be inconvenient but not devastating. If the amount is for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, you can struggle financially for the rest of your life.
Potential Consequences of a Judgment
If a judgment is rendered against you in a car accident lawsuit, it can be devastating for your finances. You’ll be personally responsible for whatever amount your insurance policy doesn’t cover — regardless of the current state of your finances. If you can’t afford to pay off the amount as a lump sum, you can find yourself subjected to serious legal measures. Some of these include:
- Having your house seized
- Losing your vehicles
- Having your bank accounts or savings taken
- Being subjected to wage garnishment.
When you can’t pay off the amount you owe, it’s considered a debt. Anything you have can be taken to pay off that debt. However, this type of debt comes with additional legal consequences. Most individuals have the option of filing bankruptcy when debt becomes overwhelming. Unfortunately, in some cases, debt owed due to a legal judgment cannot be discharged as bankruptcy debt. A car accident lawsuit can have lifelong financial implications. Getting skilled legal representation on your case immediately is a precaution you can’t afford to skip.
Consult an NYC Car Accident Lawyer Now
If you’re being sued for car accident injury expenses, it’s important to understand that you’re in a very serious situation. If the other driver wins their lawsuit, you’re facing a potentially devastating impact on your finances for many years to come. However, that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Involving a skilled car accident lawyer in your case as soon as possible is your best chance to take charge of the situation and alter the outcome for the better. If things have progressed to the point of a lawsuit, you don’t have any time to lose.
Tucker Lawyers is a New York City personal injury firm. Our skilled attorneys have a reputation for obtaining impressive outcomes in NYC car accident cases. If you’re facing a car accident lawsuit, we encourage you to call our firm immediately. We can review your case and identify your options.
Don’t wait to get help in the face of a car accident lawsuit. Call Tucker Lawyers now at (516) 399-2364 for a free consultation with a skilled New York City car accident lawyer.
Managing Attorney John. J. Tucker, Esq.
John has personally handled thousands of clients who were victims of another’s negligence and fights relentlessly for their rights. John enjoys bringing closure to a client’s matter so that the injured party can move forward with their life. His background enables him to evaluate complex liability related claims and bring resolution to claims in a record time frame. [ Attorney Bio ]