Accident Injury Claims

Understanding Your Personal Injury Protection Benefits

To bring a claim arising from a motor vehicle accident, Massachusetts law requires each person injured in a car accident to incur at least $2,000 in medical expenses or otherwise meet the tort threshold. If you as an operator, passenger, pedestrian or bicyclist are involved in a car or commercial truck accident, you will need to obtain an Application for Benefits – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – from your insurance company. In Massachusetts, all automobile insurance policies must have PIP benefits coverage. These “no-fault” benefits can cover you and any passenger in your car for medical expenses, lost wages and prescription reimbursements up to $8,000. To receive these benefits, a PIP Application must be filed with your auto insurance provider.

When a motorist collides with someone riding a bike, the driver’s liability insurance will afford bodily injury coverage to the injured cyclist. If the cyclist owns a car, his or her auto insurance affords uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage to them. If the cyclist is a minor, he or she may be entitled to medical payments coverage, and uninsured or underinsured motorist benefits, from his or her parent’s automobile insurance policy if optional coverage was purchased.

If you are covered under a private health insurance policy, your automobile insurance company will pay the first $2,000 in medical expenses, and thereafter, your medical bills must be submitted to your private insurance carrier. Co-payment charges can be submitted to your insurer for reimbursement under PIP. Some drivers have also purchased optional coverage known as medical payments, which is purchased in $5,000 increments and can be used to pay medical bills after PIP benefits have been exhausted.

Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may also possess a claim for uninsured or underinsured motorist benefits. In this instance, your own auto insurance policy will provide coverage to you.

If you have been involved in an accident where the responsible party does not have insurance or has low insurance policy limits, there are options for you to pursue a claim against your own insurance company.

Helping You File Your Motor Vehicle Injury Claim

When you choose Snow Law Firm to represent you, they will file a car accident injury claim or truck collision injury claim against the people or entities responsible for causing your injuries. For those without insurance or low insurance policy limits, Attorney Snow will explain your options. The at-fault party is put on notice of your intent to pursue an injury claim against them and to disclose the amount of the defendant’s insurance policy. Once the disclosures are received, and your medical bills and records are assembled, Snow Law Firm will file a lawsuit against the responsible parties.

Once Snow Law Firm completes the PIP application on your behalf and sends it to your auto insurance company, Snow Law Firm can help:

• Ensure that your medical bills get paid

• Ensure that you receive reimbursement for lost wages

• Assist you with any property damage claim

• Assist you with rental car reimbursement

In addition, Snow Law Firm will:

• Obtain the police report

• Request your medical bills and records

• Identify potential defendants

• Investigate the circumstances related to your accident and photograph the crash scene

• Engage liability, medical and vocational experts

• Evaluate your claim for damages

• Negotiate a successful resolution of your claim or take your case to trial