Motor Vehicle Accidents

Ever wonder what “Extended Medical Expense Benefits Coverage” on your personal auto insurance policy actually covers? It is sometimes known as “med-pay.” Insurance regulations in New Jersey require auto insurers to include a minimum coverage of $1,000 and a maximum coverage of $10,000 in Extended Medical Expense Benefits Coverage on standard private passenger auto insurance policies in the state. So, in layman’s terms, each policy must offer $1,000 in that type of coverage, and that coverage can be increased up to $10,000. Continue reading →

In a previous blog post, I discussed Personal Injury Protection benefits. In 1990, the New Jersey legislature amended what is known as the “no fault law” and gave insureds the option to designate either their automobile insurance carriers or their health insurance carriers as the primary source for Personal Injury Protection benefits. Why would someone choose this option? When the law was amended, those electing to have their health insurers as primary carriers were guaranteed a 25% reduction in the premium applicable to the first $250,000 in PIP coverage. In layman’s terms, if an insured chooses his health insurance carrier has the primary source for PIP benefits, his insurance policy premium can cost less money. Continue reading →

Imagine this unfortunate situation: you are driving on a street when you suddenly get struck by another car from behind. Picture what your reaction would be when you found out that the person who hit you was a police officer on duty driving a patrol car. Can you sue the police officer? Continue reading →

I recently read a court’s decision interpreting a step-down provision of an insurance policy and realized that most consumers have no idea what a step-down provision is and how it impacts their family. A step-down provision limits claims under the uninsured and underinsured motorist benefits. The language of a step-down provision usually limits coverage to those who don’t have their own separate policy. It most often comes into play when there are multiple car insurance policies in the same household. Continue reading →

In all standard New Jersey auto insurance policies the insured is provided with coverage called Personal Injury Protection or P.I.P. This coverage (usually between $15,000 and $ 250,000) provides medical benefits to the insured, relatives of his/her household and occupants of the vehicle when involved in a motor vehicle accident that involves an automobile. Under N.J. law “Automobile” means in general “a private passenger automobile not used as a cab or limousine; and a motor vehicle with a pickup body, a delivery sedan, a van, or a panel truck or camper type vehicle not customarily used in the profession or business of the insured.” Continue reading →