What is personal injury protection? Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage is required by law in Utah. This coverage can also be called “No-fault” insurance. That is because it allows your insurance company to start issuing payments on your behalf before fault is determined in the accident. This is very beneficial if you have not been able to work and thus have lost wages while medical bills are stacking up. If you’ve been in a car accident there are some very important things to be aware of regarding PIP coverage. It is important to realize that your car insurance will not automatically start paying medical bills or sending you money. You need to make sure that your insurance is aware of the car accident. Immediately following the car accident, you must call your car insurance company and report the accident. The insurance company will then start processing your claim. They will assign an insurance adjuster (also known as the PIP adjuster) that will handle your case. It is very important that you write down the claim number and your insurance adjuster’s contact information. You (or your lawyer) will be working directly with this adjuster to get the coverage you are due. Filling out the application One of the first things your PIP adjuster will ask you to do is fill out a PIP application. This can be a bit overwhelming at first as there is a lot of information that they will ask you to provide. The following Q & A can help you navigate your PIP application. Q: What is a PIP application and why is it needed? A: This form allows your insurance company to decide if you are eligible for certain benefits under Utah law. It also enables the insurance company to start processing your PIP coverage and start paying medical bills and lost wages. Q: I already told my insurance adjuster a lot of this information and the application already appears to have some of my information on it. Do I really need to fill it out? A: Yes, the insurance adjuster needs this form returned before they can start processing your claim. Q: Can I fill out the form by hand or does it...
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While driving through residential streets the term “car accident lawyer” is hardly likely to be running through your head. However, in a split second things can change, accidents can happen, and making a call to an car accident lawyer may be one of the next things you will need to do. This is especially true on residential streets. There is a good reason that the speed limit is reduced in residential areas. With cars backing out of driveways, children playing, and reduced visibility it is often necessary to make sudden stops. If you are driving above the speed limit, which unfortunately, seems to happen quite often, it may be too difficult to stop in time. If you find yourself in that type of a situation, a car accident lawyer can help. I recently represented a client that found himself in a difficult situation, which necessitated a car accident lawyer. This client was unable to stop his vehicle in time to avoid hitting a car that was backing out of a driveway. As a car accident lawyer I was able to help this client see that, although he had hit the other vehicle, it was not his fault. This client was able to, through me, his car accident lawyer, have his medical bills and treatment covered by the liability insurance. As a car accident lawyer, I would hope that you would never find yourself in this type of situation as either the person who struck another vehicle or as the person backing out of the driveway. Be extra cautious as you drive through residential areas. Even if you are driving the posted speed limit it is necessary to keep all attention on the road. In residential areas the driving conditions can change in an instant; children run into streets, cars back out of driveways, cars stop unexpectedly. Driving the speed limit will ensure that you can have adequate reaction time when these unexpected circumstances arise. Use caution when you are pulling into or out of a driveway. Be aware of things that make visibility difficult. Shrubs, mailboxes, other homes, and even sunlight can make it difficult for other drivers to see you. As a car accident lawyer, I advise people...
Read MoreParking lots may seem like a relatively safe place to drive: People tend to drive slowly and the majority of cars are not actually moving because they are parked. But this assumption could not be further from the truth. Parking lots are a very hazard place to drive! Yes, people do tend to drive slower in parking lots, but this is not always the case. Also, drivers can be very distracted while maneuvering through the parking lot. This distraction leads to many car accidents. Whether the driver that caused the car accident was preoccupied with finding a spot to park or simply looking out for pedestrians, it doesn’t matter, the results are the same, a car accident can be the result of this improper lookout. I just represented a client that was driving on a private street that divided several parking lots when this client was involved in a car accident. While driving on this private street my client’s car was struck by another driver that was pulling out of the adjoining parking lot. This car accident could have been prevented. The other driver did not feel that it was necessary to stop when pulling out of the parking lot because there was no stop sign posted. Although there was no stop sign, a known rule of the road is that you must stop when merging from a smaller road or driveway to a larger road. This is why you won’t see a stop sign at the end of every driveway or small road. It is known that when merging with a major road, the major road has the right-of-way. The other driver should have known that in this instance and yielded the right-of-way. Often times there will NOT be posted stop signs in parking lots; however, it is best to yield when in doubt. Yielding or stopping could be the difference between safely making it to your destination or months of bills and pain and injury. This car accident has resulted in significant pain and suffering for my client. Because of this collision my client suffered a concussion, multiple bulging discs, numbness of limbs and shoulder pain. My client’s life was changed by a simple failure to yield...
Read MoreWest Jordan Car Accident. I recently represented a client who was involved in a West Jordan Car Accident. I had previously represented this client for another West Jordan car accident. She was hit from behind in both car accidents in West Jordan. This time the damage to her car was not substantial, but still the bumper was dented in. I was recently asked if it seems strange to represent clients who have been involved in multiple car accidents, just like this West Jordan car accident. What I have found over the years is that most of my clients who are in repeat car accidents are doing absolutely nothing wrong when they are in another car accident. For example, in this West Jordan car accident, my client was sitting there stopped at a red-light and she had been stopped for quite some time. She was doing absolutely nothing wrong! This is the same as her first car accident. What could she have done differently that any of us would have done differently to avoid this West Jordan car accident? Nothing. All of us come to a stop at a red light and wait for the light to change. So it seems to me, that those involved in multiple car accidents just seem to have bad luck. Now there can be exceptions to that rule, but I have generally found this to be the case after handling thousands of car accident cases over the years. To further illustrate this point, although it was not a West Jordan car accident, I once represented a client who was involved in three car accidents within a period of a few months. In every car accident, he was at a stop at a red-light or at a stop sign and was hit from behind, although fortunately he was only hurt in one of the car accidents. He did nothing wrong in all three car accidents. Even more strange, he had a bright yellow vehicle, which should have stood out and been far more visible than other cars. If that does not highlight the randomness and fact that some people just seem to have bad luck when it comes to car accidents, I don’t know what...
Read MoreWhat does MY auto insurance do for me when I am in an car accident? If you have the unfortunate circumstance of being in a car accident in Utah, one of the first things you will be asked to show is your auto insurance card or proof of car insurance. It isn’t just illegal to drive a vehicle without auto insurance, it is a bad idea. Auto insurance protects you and those you love if you do happen to be involved in a car crash. Q: Should I keep a copy of my auto insurance card in my vehicle? A: Yes. If you do happen to be in a car accident having your auto insurance information nearby will make the whole situation a lot less stressful. Q: How do I know the amounts my auto insurance covers? A: On your policy you will see things like “25/65/25” or “Bodily injury liability limits of $25,000 per person, $65,000 per accident”. These are numbers you want to know about if the accident was your fault. The 25 in the 25/65/25 example and the “bodily injury liability limits of $25,000 per person” listed in the second example mean that your insurance will pay $25,000 for each person that was injured because of your fault in the accident. This money will go towards paying their medical expenses, lost wages, and suffering. The 65 in the 25/65/25 example and the “$65,000 per accident” in the second example mean that if more than two people were injured in the accident that the most your insurance will cover is $65,000 total. This means that $65,000 will need to be split among all the people involved rather than the insurance paying the per person limit The last number, 25, of the 25/65/25 refers to the amount that insurance will cover of property damage. Keep in mind that these limits are for others, including passengers in your vehicle, but not for you. You would only be entitled to the PIP benefits or no-fault benefits to cover medical expenses. Q: What happens if the costs of the accident exceed what my auto insurance covers? A: It is possible that you can be sued for the...
Read MoreWith Utah’s population continually growing, there are more and more drivers on the road. This is especially the case in West Valley City, which can result in a West Valley Car Accident. Although the sheer number of drivers on the road should not mean there are more accidents, it unfortunately does. You may be a great driver. You may drive defensively, always paying attention to what other drivers are doing. You may follow all safety precautions such as never text and driving, or never driving while distracted. However, this will not ensure that you will never experience a West Valley car accident. I recently represented a client who struck another vehicle that turned left in front of him causing a West Valley City Car Accident. There was no way my client could have missed hitting the car. Sadly, this West Valley City car accident is becoming more common not only in West Valley City, but all throughout Utah. While accidents can not always be avoided, there are things you can do as a driver to minimize the damage to your vehicle and to your body. First, you should ALWAYS where your seatbelt when driving. In the above-mentioned West Valley City car accident, my client suffered from shoulder, neck, back, and chest injuries. These injuries resulted in medical visits and bills that would never have occurred if this accident had not happened. However, had my client not been wearing a seatbelt the injury list would have been significantly longer and could have resulted in life altering injuries or even possibly the loss of a life. Second, never send or read text messages when you drive. As you drive through West Valley or any other city in Utah it is easy to become complacent about paying attention. You have probably driven the same roads hundreds of times. That being said, it does not mean that you don’t need to pay attention. Texting is one of the biggest distractions to motorists. You may have driven the same road many times, but you have never driven with the different motorist you will encounter this time. One driver may choose to turn as you are heading through an intersection and if you are looking...
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