Injury Law – Redmond Law Firm

Avoiding Pitfalls When Choosing a Medical Clinic After Accident

wplawyer — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 13:40:52 +0000

Avoiding Pitfalls When Choosing a Medical Clinic After a Car Accident

If you are in pain and feel that you need medical attention, after a car accident, it is always a good idea to find a medical facility familiar with the complicated no fault insurance system.

You should consider the following issues when deciding on a medical clinic:

How long has the medical facility been in business?

You want to go to a medical facility that is reputable and has been treating patients over a significant time period. One of the worst decisions you can make is to attend a clinic that goes out of business after you started treating there. Not only will your treatment suffer, but your medical records could potentially get lost.

Avoid any clinic where a representative approached your at that scene of the accident or offered you money to go there.

What the clinic is doing in this situation is illegal and will likely be closed down for fraud. You should avoid any clinic that engages in these practices.

Does the medical facility accept no fault insurance?

Many medical facilities will not even accept no fault insurance. Some will even say that they will not accept no fault, but will charge your own private insurance. This is a red flag and you should avoid going to this facility. Perhaps you should even inquire if it is it common for the clinic to treat patients under no fault insurance and if they are familiar with New York No Fault Insurance.

What specialists will be treating me?

There are many kinds of specialists that will be able to help you after a car accident. The most common types are: Physiatrists, Pain Management Doctors, Chiropractors, Orthopedists, Neurologists, Radiologists, Physician Assistants, and Acupuncturists.

What will the clinic do if No fault decides it does not want to pay for treatment anymore?

This is probably one of the most important questions you should ask your medical provider. The no fault insurance will eventually send you to a doctor hired by a “scheduling company.” These doctors are supposed to be “independent,” but they are NOT. It has been my experience that 90% of the time these doctors claim that you no longer need treatment and that no fault should stop paying for your medical treatment. At this point some clinics will discharge you because they will no longer get paid and it is the easy thing to do for their business. However, a good medical facility will make decisions independent of the no fault doctors. If your doctor feels you need more treatment, they will provide that treatment and fight the no fault insurance later down the road with their own lawyers.

Locating a Reputable Medical Facility After a Car Accident

You should do research based on the above information to locate a reputable medical facility for treatment. Ask the tough questions. If you are not sure where to find one, your personal injury lawyer can usually suggest a list of 3 or more within your geographic location.

If you have been involved in any kind of accident – call Attorney Neil Redmond on his Mobile Phone 646-285-7115 for a free consultation

The post Avoiding Pitfalls When Choosing a Medical Clinic After Accident first appeared on Redmond Law Firm.

Personal Injury Law Navigating Property Damage Headaches

wplawyer — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 13:07:00 +0000

Navigating Property Damage Headaches

The key to avoiding property damage headaches is to make sure you have collision insurance coverage on your vehicle.

What is Collision Coverage?

Collision coverage is insurance that you carry to have your car repaired by your own insurance company as opposed to vehicle that caused your accident. The down side to this, is that you have to initially pay the deductible which in many cases is $1,000.00.

The upside is that if the other vehicle that caused the accident was at fault, your insurance company will get your deductible back for you. The other positive aspect of collision coverage is that that if you are at fault, then you will be able to get your vehicle repaired and only be out your deductible.

Is It Worth It?

Collision coverage is only worth it, if you are driving a vehicle that has value left. If you are driving an old vehicle that is worth only a few thousand dollars then the cost of collision coverage premium is likely not worth its value.

What If You Do Not Have Collision Coverage?

If you do not have collision insurance, then you are at the mercy of the insurance company covering the vehicle that caused your accident. This is usually not a problem if the other vehicle was clearly at fault and the other vehicle is insured with a reputable insurance company. If the other insurance company determines that they are not at fault or only partially at fault then they will deny payment or reduce the payment by the percentage of their fault. If you are dealing with a cut-rate insurance carrier, then you will have to deal with all of the problems that come a long when dealing with poorly run companies.

If you have been involved in any kind of accident – call Attorney Neil Redmond on his Mobile Phone 646-285-7115 for a free consultation.

The post Personal Injury Law Navigating Property Damage Headaches first appeared on Redmond Law Firm.

Personal Injury Law -Understanding Basics of No Fault Insurance

wplawyer — Sat, 29 May 2021 13:01:00 +0000

Understanding The Basics of No Fault Insurance in New York State

Many people involved in car accidents know that they have no fault insurance, but have no idea what it actually means.

What Is It?

No fault insurance, also known as a “first party benefit,” is insurance to cover your basic economic losses immediately after an accident regardless of fault. Most insurance policies in New York cover up to $50,000.00 in no-fault coverage. No fault will pay for your medical expenses, lost wages and most out of pocket expenses related to an accident.

Who Qualifies?

Almost anyone involved in a car accident will qualify for no-fault coverage. However, it is important to understand which vehicle covers this benefit for you.

Here are some examples:

If you are a driver, your vehicle will pay your no-fault benefits.
If you are a passenger-The vehicle you occupied will cover your no-fault benefits
If you are a bicyclist or pedestrian-The vehicle that struck you will pay for your no-fault benefits.

Exceptions

Motorcyclists generally are not covered by no-fault insurance unless they opt for special coverage on their own insurance policy.

Is Your Entire Salary Covered?

No. Most policies in New York will pay up to 80% of your lost wages, not to exceed $2,000 per month. You also will need to apply for short term disability through your employer to cover additional lost wages.

Most insurance companies will give you the option to purchase supplemental coverage.

The Strict Thirty Day Deadline

In order to receive no-fault benefits, you must apply for them within 30 days of the accident. This is done by filing a form called an NF2. If you do not file this form timely, you are in danger of forfeiting your no-fault benefits.

PIP aka No Fault Insurance

If you have been involved in any kind of accident – call Attorney Neil Redmond on his Mobile Phone 646-285-7115 for a free consultation. The Basics of No Fault Insurance in New York State

The post Personal Injury Law -Understanding Basics of No Fault Insurance first appeared on Redmond Law Firm.

Soft Tissue Controversy Personal Injury Law

wplawyer — Sun, 14 Feb 2021 12:30:47 +0000

Jaw Fracture Pain and Suffering Award Substantially Increased

On August 14, 2007 Remigiusz Nawrocki was working for a plumbing contractor at a construction site at 205 Huron Street in Brooklyn. While on a ladder drilling holes in a wall, Mr. Nawrocki, then 28 years old, fell to the ground sustaining significant jaw injuries.

At an inquest on December 9, 2015 in his ensuing lawsuit against the owner of the premises (whose answer to the complaint was stricken because of repeated failures to appear at court conferences), a judge awarded plaintiff pain and suffering damages in the sum of $50,000 ($25,000 past – eight years, $25,000 future – unspecified).

Plaintiff appealed, arguing that the damages award was inadequate. In Nawrocki v. Huron Street Development LLC (1st Dept. 2018), the pain and suffering award was increased to $500,000 ($250,000 past, $250,000 future).

Here are the injury details:

open mandible and condylar fractures and impacted tooth
facial lacerations requiring sutures and plastic surgery
six day hospital admission
open reduction and internal fixation with wires, screws and a six hole plate
jaw wired shut and unable to eat without straw for eight weeks
surgical removal of wires and screws
medical treatment completed within three months of the accident but plaintiff claimed continuing pain and had some resulting scars

If you have been involved in any kind of accident – call Attorney Neil Redmond on his Mobile Phone 646-285-7115 for a free consultation.

The post Soft Tissue Controversy Personal Injury Law first appeared on Redmond Law Firm.