Auto Accidents

Rhode Island Auto Accident Basics

Massachusetts Auto Accident Basics

Connecticut Auto Accident Basics

How to Handle Your Auto Property Damage Claim?

What To Do When Involved in an Auto Accident?

What Insurance Steps Should be Taken?

Questions About Auto Accidents and Answers From Auto Accident Attorneys

Why You Need an Auto Accident Attorney?

Why We Are Successful- Our Auto Accident Qualifications

Every year, thousands of auto accidents occur. They can cause severe personal injuries and/or property damages. The resulting financial difficulties due to lost wages and medical bills can be overwhelming. If you have been injured in an auto accident you need the Law Offices of d'Oliveira and Associates, P.C., to ensure you receive all of the compensation you deserve. Give us a call or stop by one of our fourteen locations for a free consultation and remember you pay no legal fees unless a settlement is made on your behalf.

After an auto accident, you may have many questions about your options and how to proceed; the Law Offices of d’Oliveira and Associates, P.C. can help. For a free consultation come into one of our RI or MA locations – or we can serve you by coming to your home. No matter where you live, feel free to send us a contact form or call us toll free at 1-800-992-6878 for your free initial case review. Tell them you mean business, and let the lawyers of d'Oliveira & Associates, P.C., go to work on your behalf now!

To fill out a confidential form, CLICK HERE.

Rhode Island Auto Accident Basics:

Every insured automobile in Rhode Island has a minimum coverage of $25,000/$50,000. This means the insurance company will pay up to $25,000 to each injured person, but no more than $50,000 total for each accident. Insurance will also cover $25,000 worth of property damage. Some automobiles have coverage with much higher limits. Although it is not required, Rhode Island recommends drivers also have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

Only the insurance company for the person at fault pays under this coverage. This coverage compensates you for lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering and mental anguish. The insurance company will pay you under bodily injury for any injury that is directly caused by the negligence of another driver. Unlike in Massachusetts, there is no minimal requirement that your medical bills exceed $2,000.

Although there is no personal injury protection or PIP in Rhode Island, you can collect medical payments from your insurance if available from the automobile you were in during the accident. However, the medical payments money paid is a lien and must be paid back from the proceeds of the liability settlement.

You may also be able to collect temporary disability insurance (TDI), from the State of Rhode Island if you were employed in Rhode Island and will have lost wages. You may qualify for additional benefits such as workers’ compensation, if you were in the course of your employment at the time of the accident, or disability payments if you have disability insurance coverage. You may also qualify for payment of your home mortgage, automobile loan, or life insurance premiums if you have the applicable coverage. You should check to see if you have any other coverage, in addition to your automobile insurance coverage.

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Massachusetts Auto Accident Basics:

Every insured automobile in Massachusetts has a minimum coverage of $20,000/$40,000. This means the insurance company will pay up to $20,000 to each injured person, but no more than $40,000 total for each accident. Insurance will also cover $5,000 worth of property damage. Some automobiles have coverage with much higher limits.

Massachusetts is a no fault state. Nevertheless, if the accident was especially severe and the party had excessive medical costs, they can petition to have the responsible party held liable. However, normally each driver’s expenses and damages are covered by their individual insurance. All Massachusetts’ insurance policies have Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, coverage. PIP will still cover Massachusetts’s drivers if they are involved in out of state automobile accidents. PIP will pay you or anyone else injured in your automobile for medical bills, funeral expenses, and 75% of lost wages. The maximum amount of PIP coverage is $8,000.

If you have secondary health insurance such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, the PIP insurance carrier is responsible for only the first $2,000 in medical bills and your private health insurance carrier may pay for the rest. If they do not, PIP must pay the balance. If you have Med Pay, or medical payments, coverage, an additional $5,000 (or more) is available to pay for medical expenses for you or anyone injured in your automobile. Unlike PIP, this coverage is not mandatory.

In addition to traditional liability coverage and PIP, Massachusetts also requires motorists to have uninsured motorist coverage. Such insurance will provide coverage to either vehicle or party for damages, which resulted from the accident. It will cover an uninsured party, an underinsured party and a hit and run accident.

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Connecticut Auto Accident Basics:

Every insured automobile in Connecticut has a minimum coverage of $20,000/$40,000. This means the insurance company will pay up to $20,000 to each injured person, but no more than $40,000 total for each accident. Insurance will also cover $10,000 worth of property damage. Some automobiles have coverage with much higher limits.

Connecticut also requires drivers to have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, which will pay expenses for the insured party. Uninsured/underinsured coverage provides $20,000 of coverage to each injured person and $40,000 total for each accident. Uninsured/underinsured insurance also provides coverage in the case of a hit and run driver. PIP or personal injury protection is not required in Connecticut.

Other optional coverage in Connecticut is Medical Payments. Medical Payments covers medical, dental, hospitalization and other treatment expenses. Medical Payments will also cover the policyholder and other family members if they are injured in another car or if they are injured while biking or walking.

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How to Handle Your Auto Property Damage Claim?

You may have a property claim along with your personal injury claim, or you may just have a property claim as a result of your auto accident. With your property claim, it may depend on who is at fault. If the other driver is clearly at fault, you would file a claim with their insurance company. The other driver’s insurance will pay for a rental car and other car repairs. If it is unclear who is at fault, you should file your property damage claim with your own insurance company and your insurance coverage will pay for the repairs.Once it is determined who is at fault, your insurance company can subrogate against the responsible party’s insurance. Subrogation allows an insurance company to recover the money they paid, when the responsible driver’s insurance was really the party responsible for covering the property damage.

The insurance company gets to determine whether or not your car should be repaired or is a “total loss.” A “total loss” is when it costs more to repair the car than it is worth. If the car is a total loss, you may have to negotiate with the insurance company over the value of your car. Commonly, the insurance company will try to determine the pre accident value by looking in the Kelly Blue Book. You can reject the number offered by the insurance company, but you have to present evidence to show why you believe your car is worth more money than the insurance company is offering. The driver who is responsible for the accident is also liable to pay for the towing and storage of the car until it is determined whether it can be repaired or whether it is a “total loss.”

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What To Do When Involved in an Auto Accident?

1. Remain calm and do not move your vehicle until the police arrive.
2. Obtain names and addresses of any witnesses to the accident, including passengers from the respective cars.
3. Obtain name and address of the other driver, along with the license number, registration and insurance company’s name.
4. Take notes on the position of the vehicles, the weather and road conditions and the time of day.
5. Take pictures of the accident scene, vehicles and their positions and any visible injuries.
6. Note if any of the parties involved committed any traffic violations or appear to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
7. Notify your insurance agent or company as soon as possible.
8. Complete an operator’s report at the local Police station within five days.
9. Seek medical attention if you have sustained any injury no matter how small.
10. Call us at d'Oliveira and Associates, P.C., to assist you with any questions you may have.
    
    If you have any questions or need legal representation please do not hesitate to contact us at 1-800-992-6878.

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What Insurance Steps Should be Taken?

1. Contact the insurance company as soon as possible after the accident. All companies require claims to be filed within a certain amount of time after the accident. Do not wait too long to file a claim!
2. Read your insurance policy to determine insurance coverage, in order to make the proper claims.
3. Tell the insurance company all of the details of the accident, including the insurance information and coverage of the other parties involved.
4. Keep a written account of conversations with employees of the insurance company.
5. Save all paperwork relating to your insurance claim, including medical bills, repair bills and other expenses.
6. Check to see if you have additional insurance policies, which may offer coverage for the injury or accident that occurred.
7. When talking with the insurance company:

• DO NOT admit to any liability.
• DO NOT accept any estimates from your insurer about a settlement or the value of your claim. Do your own investigation or consult an attorney.
• DO NOT sign any sort of insurance release or waiver.
• DO NOT accept any settlement, unless you feel it is complete compensation for your losses.

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Questions About Auto Accidents and Answers From Auto Accident Attorneys

Injured by a Hit & Run Driver?

Injured by a Drunk Driver?

Injured in a Pedestrian Accident?

Injured in a Bicycle Accident?

Injured in a Rear End Collision?

Sustained Back or Neck Injuries?

Sustained Whiplash Injuries?

Injured by an Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist?

Injured by a Motorcycle Accident?

Injured by a Truck Accident?

Injured by a Bus Accident?

Was a Loved One Involved in a Fatal Accident?

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Why You Need an Auto Accident Attorney?

Auto accidents can be traumatic and dangerous. Seemingly minor accidents can have long-term consequences. You may not realize it, but you need legal assistance. Insurance companies do not have your best interests at heart and will try to settle any claims for the lowest possible amount. You need an attorney who can protect your rights and get you the compensation you deserve. An attorney can make sure you get the money you need to cover medical bills, lost wages, property damage and pain and suffering.

If you or a loved one has been in an auto accident, you should consider contacting an attorney who specializes in handling these types of cases. The attorneys of d'Oliveira & Associates, P.C., would like to meet with you and discuss the investigation of your injury. Our law firm has represented and assisted numerous automobile accident victims in bringing lawsuits against other drivers and insurance companies alike, and there are no fees unless we are successful. To have a member of our law office contact you, please fill out a contact form.

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Why We Are Successful - Our Auto Accident Qualifications

Attorney Paul d'Oliveira and his Associate Attorneys have settled thousands of personal injury cases over the past nineteen (19) years. With our help, you can receive compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, damages to personal property, pain and suffering and wrongful death, resulting from an auto accident. Auto accidents have resulted in some of the largest settlements for d’Oliveira and Associates. Our experience and prior track record at d’Oliveira & Associates provide us with the best qualifications to handle your auto accident. Our past successes include:

Our client was injured in a rear-end collision with a tractor-trailer truck and the vehicle burst into flames. She suffered a fractured vertebra, lacerations and burns.
$1Million settlement

Our client was a 25-year-old woman who was in a motor vehicle accident and suffered a brain injury.
$964,000 settlement

Our client was struck by another vehicle as a pedestrian and suffered a brain injury, facial fractures and permanent loss of vision.
$775,000 settlement

Our client was a passenger in a motor vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on a wet road when the driver lost control and struck a large rock. Our client suffered severe head injuries, and permanent paralysis.
$600,000 settlement

Our client was injured in an auto accident and suffered a broken leg requiring pins and screws, a fractured pelvis, internal bleeding and a laceration to their colon.
$550,000 settlement

Our client was injured as a passenger in a motor vehicle accident and sustained a back injury which required surgery.
$500,000 settlement

Our client was a passenger in a motor vehicle accident and suffered a brain injury.
$470,000 settlement

Our client was injured as a passenger in a motor vehicle accident and suffered injuries to their back, neck and shoulder and underwent spinal surgery.
$410,000 settlement

Our client was injured when their vehicle was struck head-on by a truck and suffered multiple fractures and lacerations.
$400,000 settlement.

Our client was injured while operating a motorcycle and suffered from broken bones, road burns and multiple contusions.
$388,000 settlement

Our client was injured as a passenger in a motor vehicle in which the driver fell asleep at the wheel. The vehicle struck a tree and rolled over and our client suffered a severe fracture of the wrist, which required surgery.
$350,000 settlement

Our client was involved in a motor vehicle accident and suffered a broken pelvis, fractures to the arm and elbow, a dislocated hip and lacerations. She had surgery on her hip and pelvis and underwent extensive rehabilitation.
$347,500 settlement

Our client was injured as a passenger in a motor vehicle accident and suffered lacerations and broken bones.
$325,000 settlement

Our client was a woman who was injured in a motor vehicle accident. She sustained injuries to the neck and shoulder, which required surgery and rehabilitation.
$320,000 settlement

Our client was involved in a rear-end collision and suffered a back injury, which required extensive medical treatment.
$300,000 settlement

Our client was injured in a rear-end collision while stopped at train tracks and sustained neck and back injuries that required surgery.
$250,000 settlement

Our client was injured as a passenger in a motor vehicle accident and underwent neck surgery.
$225,000 settlement

If you or a loved one has been in an auto accident, you should consider contacting an attorney who specializes in handling these types of cases. The attorneys of d'Oliveira & Associates, P.C., would like to meet with you and discuss the investigation of your injury. Our law firm has represented and assisted numerous automobile accident victims in bringing lawsuits against other drivers and insurance companies alike, and there are no fees unless we are successful.

Please contact the law offices of d'Oliveira & Associates at 1-800-992-6878 or fill out a contact form for a free legal consultation.