Automobile accidents are crashes or wrecks caused by the negligence of one or more of the operators that can result in benefits being due to one, some or all of the injured victims. This may be true whether the injury is mild, moderate or severe.
The damages that can be recovered vary from state to state - as in Rhode Island damages are awarded based upon the injured victim not being negligent or at fault (although a recovery is possible even if the injured victim is partially at fault); and in Massachusetts this is also true although "no fault" law applies that requires the injured victim to have one of the following:
(1) $2,000.00 or more in medical bills
(2) A fracture
(3) A scar or
(4) To have been killed.
Also benefits other than a recovery from the wrongdoer's insurance policy are possible such as medical benefits from the vehicle the injured victim was in or from his/her own vehicle if the injured victim was not in his/her own vehicle.
Also if the wrongdoer does not have enough insurance coverage, then the collection of underinsurance is possible from the vehicle the injured victim was in or his/her own vehicle.
Even if the wrongdoer has no insurance coverage then it is still possible for the injured victim to collect uninsurance coverage from the vehicle he/she was in or his/her own vehicle.
The amount of insurance coverage a wrongdoer has can sometimes be increased to the benefit of the injured victim. For example, Massachusetts has minimum liability insurance coverage limits of $20,000.00 per person or $40,000.00 per accident. Rhode Island has minimum liability coverage of $25,000.00 per person or $50,000.00 per accident. If a Massachusetts driver with a minimum policy gets into an automobile crash in Rhode Island his/her minimum coverage is increased to match the Rhode Island minimum. The insurance coverage would increase from $20,000.00-$40,000.00 to $25,000.00 - $50,000.00 to match the Rhode Island minimum coverage regulations.