Does No-Fault Car Insurance Cover Pain and Suffering Damages?

• July 31, 2020
• Car Accidents
• Insurance
• No Fault
• Personal Injury

A car accident causes extensive financial distress. Injury victims and their families must pay for medical bills, the cost of repairing a vehicle, and other expenses. In addition to the financial damages caused by a car accident, collisions also cause pain and suffering.

“Pain and suffering” is a legal term that describes the emotional distress, inconvenience, and life-altering effects that an injury causes. Although pain and suffering is not a tangible cost, it is possible to receive compensation for these damages. However, compensation for pain and suffering may not be available through your car insurance provider.

Your Insurance Will Most Likely Not Cover Non-Economic Damages

No-fault insurance generally does not cover non-economic damages, including pain and suffering. A standard no-fault car insurance plan will primarily cover medical bills and property damage expenses. Optional add-on plans can account for other expenses. Unfortunately, it is rare that any car insurance plan will cover pain and suffering damages or any other non-economic costs.

Is it Possible to Receive Compensation for Pain and Suffering in a No-Fault State?

Although your insurance company may not provide compensation for pain and suffering, there may be another way for you to recover compensation for those damages. Filing a third-party liability claim is sometimes an option for injury victims in no-fault states.

No-fault car insurance, in general, covers the expenses of the policyholder only. This differs from fault-based/liability car insurance. Car accident victims in fault-based states must file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company, and will receive payment from them. Because this is not an option in no-fault states, an injured driver may need to pursue a lawsuit directly against an at-fault party to receive coverage for pain and suffering damages.

You may be able to file a claim against the at-fault driver to recover pain and suffering damages if your car accident has caused extensive emotional distress and life-altering strain. It’s possible that a third party, such as the vehicle manufacturer, is partially responsible for your injuries. If this is true in your case, you could file a claim against the liable third party to receive compensation for pain and suffering damages.

Get a Free Consultation from Our Personal Injury Attorneys

The attorneys of Goodman Acker P.C. are committed to helping injury victims get the compensation they deserve. We are available to discuss the details of your case.

For a free consultation with our lawyers, send us a message or call (248) 940-3230.