Many car crashes don’t have major consequences. They just cause cosmetic damage to the vehicle or maybe minor bruising to the occupants. However, some collisions have much more serious consequences.
Serious wrecks can cause amputations, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries and death. People hurt in a car crash could have tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of medical bills. They could also lose out on months or years of wages because of their injuries.
The total cost for a crash could easily be more than what you make in a year. Who pays for those injury-related losses after a car crash?
You have no-fault medical coverage
New Jersey requires three separate kinds of coverage, and one of them is no-fault medical coverage. You can make a claim against your own policy or the policy of the person whose vehicle you were in at the time of the crash for at least $15,000 per accident which is the minimum amount of coverage required for a standard car insurance policy under the law.
There could also be more coverage than the minimum in two cases. If you opted for more personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, any injury could qualify you for up to the maximum benefit. If you have a severe injury, like a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury, you could have up to $250,000 in PIP coverage.
Liability coverage helps if the other driver is at fault
When you aren’t the one who caused a crash, the liability coverage for the other driver will protect you from losses and them from any financial claims you bring. New Jersey specs drivers for have at least $15,000 in bodily injury liability coverage and $5,000 in property damage coverage.
The policy of the driver responsible for the crash could reimburse you for lost wages, the cost of medical treatment and the expenses involved in repairing your vehicle after the collision. Exploring the report for the crash and the coverage for the drivers involved will be important first steps when looking to cover your costs related to a car wreck.