There are a number of ways you may be able to get compensation in Ohio. The availability of money depends on the type of insurance you carry.
If the other driver was at fault, and if your personal auto insurance policy provides uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (also known as um/uim), you will be able to recover up to the limits of that coverage from your own insurance company for your pain, suffering, medical bills and and lost wages. Insurance companies are not required to issue um/uim coverage.
For instance, if you have um/uim coverage limits of $100,000 per person, you can recover your lost wages, pain, suffering and medical bills up to $100,000.00.
If your personal auto insurance policy includes medical payments (med pay) insurance coverage, you can recover the amount of your medical bills caused by the accident up to the limits of the coverage from your personal auto insurance. Most of the policies I have seen which provide this coverage have limits of $5,000.00.
But med pay coverage is not required, and the limits may be anywhere from 0 to $25,000.00.
If you have regular health insurance – typically this is purchased through your employer – your health insurance company is required to provide coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of your policy.
One thing to remember is that whenever your own insurance company – whether it is your auto insurer or your health insurer – pays you anything, it acquires the right to recover the amount paid from the person who caused the accident or his insurance company. This is called subrogation.
So if you are in an accident, and your health insurer pays $5,000 toward your medical bills, your medical payments coverage pays $2000 to cover your copays and deductibles, and your um/uim insurer pays $15,000 for your pain and suffering and lost wages, the insurance companies that made the payments are entitled to recover up to $22,000 from the person who hit you. Of course, if the other driver is uninsured, that usually doesn’t make that much difference; because you can’t get blood from a turnip.
I have been a lawyer over 30 years, and have been practicing personal injury – and insurance – law that entire time.If you want to know more about settling your lawsuit, or how to deal with an uninsured motorist after an auto accident, talk to a Cincinnati Personal Injury Attorney – call me, William Strubbe, at 513-621-4775 in Cincinnati.
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