One person was injured when a city bus and two cars collided in Midtown East, New York. The accident occurred when the bus and a white jeep crashed head on. A bus shelter was also brought down in the accident. One person sustained non-life-threatening but still they were serious injuries and needed to be hospitalized for treatment. Authorities continue to investigate the accident to determine its exact cause. Insurance companies on the other hand will be determining if the person is eligible for personal injury compensation from the at-fault parties.
Multi-Vehicle Crashes and Personal Injury Compensation
Many people are injured in vehicle accidents in New York each year. Depending on the circumstances of the accident, those who have sustained a personal injury in vehicle accidents are eligible to receive financial compensation for the cost of medical treatment, loss of wages, and other expenses incurred. When the police or law enforcement investigates the accident, they determine the at-fault driver and that person or their insurance company is liable for the financial compensation.
However, when a multi-vehicle accident occurs, often more than one person is at fault for the accident and the injury caused. In such cases, the financial compensation for the injured person is dealt with under the joint and several rule in New York.
Simply put, when there is more than one person responsible for a multi-vehicle auto accident, then they will be compensated in various degrees by the different at-fault parties. This means if a person is 50 percent responsible for an accident then they are liable to pay 50 percent of the personal injury compensation and so on. Ultimately, the injured person will be compensated fully, but will receive the compensation from various sources.
When a person has been injured in a multi-vehicle accident, they need to immediately retain the services of a personal injury lawyer in New York who can ensure that they pursue the claim for personal injury compensation against all the at-fault parties involved.
Statute of Limitations
Another reason to ensure that you retain the services of a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after an auto injury is the statute of limitations. Under New York law the statute of limitations permits you to file for financial compensation until three years after you sustain an injury. In the case of minors, the statute of limitations is longer. This means that those who were injured in an auto accident when they were minors should consult with a personal injury lawyer after they become adults to explore the possibility of obtaining financial compensation.
No-Fault Compensation
Apart from this, even a driver who was at-fault in causing the accident or a pedestrian injured in an auto accident can claim personal injury compensation under New York’s no-fault law. This law states that any person injured in an auto accident can obtain financial compensation for the treatment even if they were at fault or caused the accident.
This law limits the amount of personal injury compensation you can receive to $50,000 and does not compensate you for non-economic damages. However, even a pedestrian or a driver who was partially or completely responsible for an accident can obtain some financial relief under this law.
