27 Nov What’s the Difference Between Bodily Injury and Personal Injury?
If you own a vehicle, you might already know that New York requires a couple types of insurance: bodily injury liability, and personal injury protection (PIP). All drivers have to meet certain minimal coverage requirements before they go anywhere on NY roads. This includes $25,000 for bodily liability, $50,000 for PIP, $50,000 in death liability, and other various coverage thresholds.
What is the difference between bodily and personal injury? We’ll explain in this succinct post for New York residents.
Bodily vs. Personal Injury – The Basic Difference
Bodily injuries are any that affect the body, following a car accident, irrespective of who was at fault. Personal injury, on the other hand, involves a legal claim where various kinds of harm resulted from someone else’s negligence or oversight. The latter includes various aspects of civil law: vehicle accidents, construction accidents, medical malpractice, and so forth.
In the context of car accidents, New York has what is called a “No-Fault” system, so most collisions fall under the PIP. It will handle most of the damages to property and the lion’s share of medical bills. While it’s nice to know you have insurance to help you along, it’s often insufficient because it doesn’t cover legitimate non-economical expenses (i.e., pain and suffering).
Those damages can be significant, and the only way you can obtain them fast is by filing a third-party claim with “serious injuries,” which requires legal support from competent attorneys.
What are “Serious Injuries”?
So, for those non-economic damages, you can seek restitution if you can demonstrate that your injuries fall into the “serious” category (as many of them do). Examples of these are death, serious disfigurement, fractures, and dismemberment. If you’ve experienced any of these, you could initiate a third-party claim.
Call Us if You Need Help with a Personal Injury Case
Fortunately, overwhelming as it may appear, it is possible to win cases like these if you obtain competent legal assistance. In fact, insurance companies rarely like to go to court over serious injuries, because juries often sympathize with accident victims whenever there’s obvious negligence and heavy suffering. This means you can win with a simpler settlement outside of court.
Regardless, it’s essential to remember that you stand a much better chance if you have a professional to navigate the messy legal processes.
Gruenberg Kelly Della can help you resolve disputes over car accident liability, including those that involve long-term injuries and premature death. We’re Manhattan’s most dependable law firm for every facet of personal injury suits, as our long list of successful clients attests.
Contact us anytime to learn more about filing a personal injury claim in New York by calling 631-910-6614.