Traveling to an unfamiliar territory exposes you to dangers you can never fully anticipate. You may be on an exciting road trip to go fishing or camping in Kentucky’s Lake Cumberland. But instead of enjoying the great outdoors, a car collision takes you on a tragic detour.
A vehicular accident away from your home state must bring a ton of questions and concerns to your mind. How do you face this misadventure?
Out-of-state car accidents
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s fatal crash statistics reveals that Kentucky had 734 fatal crashes, with 38% of 806 deaths accounting for car accidents in 2021. Upon filing a police report and seeking medical attention, the next step is determining who will have to cover your injuries and other damages.
Regarding insurance categories in injury claims, Kentucky falls under the “choice no-fault” system with as much as $10,000 worth of “personal injury protection” coverage. Specifically, the system has the following indicators:
- Your insurance company takes care of your medical fees, lost wages and other financial losses, regardless of who caused the crash. The other driver’s insurance policy should also cover their damages.
- You may choose not to benefit from the no-fault system to uphold your right to sue the at-fault driver through a personal injury lawsuit. Similarly, this allows the other party to sue you if you’re at fault.
- You may also file a personal injury lawsuit if your car accident met the state’s thresholds – you should have at least $1,000 worth of medical expenses, suffered from broken bones and other permanent physical dysfunctions, and death.
You must back up your monetary and physical hardships with substantial documentation through concrete evidence and witness testimonies. Additionally, consider that time is running from the date of your accident because Kentucky only gives you a year to file your claim.
Safety beyond state lines
Being an injured tourist gives you many concerns, all out of your comfort zone – your critical medical condition, your wrecked car, your insurance policy and the state’s laws. These can be overwhelming for you while recovering from a traumatic incident. There’s comfort in knowing that you can always get legal guidance because you shouldn’t have to navigate another state’s laws alone.