Motor vehicle collisions are among the leading causes of personal injury lawsuits in Arkansas. Despite state regulations requiring that every driver carry insurance, some people affected by crashes will end up in court seeking more compensation.
Most people will go their entire lives without experiencing a crash severe enough to cause catastrophic injuries. However, a small percentage of drivers or passengers will pay the price for the convenience of modern motor vehicle transportation. They will get hurt in a collision caused by someone else and find they do not have enough insurance coverage available for their losses.
Why are insurance shortfalls so common after car crash injuries in Arkansas?
Coverage requirements are too low
When you look at the cost to buy a new vehicle and the cost of trauma care, you can easily see how the Arkansas motor vehicle insurance requirements fall far short of what is truly necessary. If drivers only buy the coverage that the state mandates, the people that they hurt when they cause collisions may have hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills that they can’t pay and thousands of dollars in vehicle repair or replacement costs.
Drivers only need proof of $25,000 worth of property and bodily injury liability coverage if a crash hurts one person. In a wreck with two or more injured persons, the people affected may have to split just $50,000 worth of bodily injury coverage for their hospital costs and lost wages.
Severe injuries like amputations and brain injuries will have medical costs that far exceed the amount of insurance coverage a driver with a minimum policy can offer.
Lawsuits help close those coverage gaps
If you have a six-figure hospital bill because you required weeks of traction and two surgeries due to a spiral fracture in your femur, $25,000 worth of medical coverage won’t do much to protect you. Once you understand the long-term financial impact that your injuries will have, you can then ask the Arkansas civil courts to award you compensation for the other costs you have incurred that insurance will not cover.
Understanding the various protection available after a motor vehicle collision will help you connect with the financial support you require.