Kentucky Accident Blog

Man and Woman Both Struck by Car Leaving Kentucky State Fair

Saturday night at about 11:45 39-year-old Shelly Riggs and 31-year-old Steven Riggs were hit by a car as they were leaving the Kentucky State Fair.  Both were on foot and are from Louisville, Kentucky.

The car was reportedly leaving Gate #4 which exits onto Crittenden Drive when the two were struck.  Shelly Riggs’ injuries were classified as serious while Steven Riggs’ injuries were minor.

An investigation is ongoing but it has been reported that there may have been an incident earlier in the evening involving the driver and the Riggs.

Without knowing the exact facts and circumstances surrounding a case you cannot determine the actual insurance coverages. Cases involving pedestrians hit by cars have their own unique set of issues.  One being who will pay the medical bills for treatment of injuries sustained in the accident? This would be covered by the PIP insurance on the car that hit the pedestrian. If that car didn’t have insurance then the pedestrian’s PIP insurance policy would provide coverage. If the pedestrian did not have insurance then the Kentucky Assigned Claims Plan may provide coverage.

Second, is there coverage for pain and suffering? Yes if you can prove fault on the car that struck the pedestrian. If the car is at fault their liability coverage would be responsible for the injuries. If the car had insufficient insurance or no insurance then the pedestrian’s underinsured motorist coverage or uninsured motorist coverage would pay for the injuries. If neither had a policy than you would have to pursue a civil lawsuit and collect from their personal assets if any.

For more information on Kentucky automobile insurance and Louisville, Kentucky attorney go to mikeschaferlaw.com

Should You Buy Added Reparation Benefits?

In Kentucky Basic Reparation Benefits (also called Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or No-Fault Benefits) is auto insurance coverage that will cover you and your passengers if you are in an accident. The standard amount offered by insurance companies is $10,000.00. This minimum amount is required by the Kentucky Revised Statutes. The $10,000.00 is in place to cover your medical bills and lost wages. This amount seems to be fairly substantial until you start adding up the medical expenses and how much you are losing in lost wages. It will no longer seem so great.

The highest amount you can receive for lost wages with Basic Reparations Coverage is $200.00 a week. This is the highest amount you will receive no matter how much your weekly income is. If you make more than that a week and don’t have disability insurance you may want to consider purchasing Added Reparation Benefits. Added Reparations Benefits work much the same way as your PIP benefits. They are additional benefit amounts that cover medical expenses and lost wages.

Added Reparation Benefits apply only to those individuals named on the insurance policy. Any other passenger would only receive the Basic PIP benefits. The amount of Added Reparation Benefits insurance companies will allow varies from company to company. Some may go as high as $40,000.00 while others will go up to $90,000.00. This is a good question to ask your insurance agent.

Along with allowing more on lost wages having Added Reparation Benefits can be very useful in covering your medical expenses. A few factors to consider when deciding whether to purchase extra coverage is your health insurance. Your health insurance will cover your medical bills once the PIP benefits are exhausted. If you do not have health insurance or you have a high deductible or high co-pays it may be in your best interest to ask your agent for information on added reparation benefits. Your agent may not offer this added coverage, it is up to you to ask. You may be surprised at how little added coverage will add to your premium.

For more information on Louisville, Kentucky attorney Mike Schafer and Kentucky Auto Insurance go to mikeschaferlaw.com.