Crossing the Centerline Accident Kills One in Irvington, Kentucky
A Rockport, Indiana man driving a semi-truck crossed the centerline on Thursday night, March 2, 2023, and struck a Honda automobile driven by 21-year-old Jacob Gardner of Irvington, Kentucky. Sadly, Mr. Gardner died as a result of his injuries. The accident took place on US 60 in Irvington, Kentucky.
Insurance Limits the Recovery of Auto Accident Injury Claims
If you are injured in a car, truck or motorcycle accident and make a claim for your injuries, your recovery will be limited by the insurance that is available for the claim. The minimum liability insurance in Kentucky is $25,000.00 for one claim and $50,000.00 for more than one claim. It is my understanding that more than half of the driver’s in Kentucky have the minimum liability coverage due to the expense of insurance. If you have suffered significant injuries in an auto accident, the minimum limits will not come close to satisfying your claim.
If you purchase underinsured motorist coverage on your vehicle, you can add to the insurance available to you for your injury claim. If you have not purchased underinsured motorist coverage, then you are limited to the liability insurance available from the at fault driver. In the accident in Irvington, there may be adequate insurance to cover the wrongful death claim to be made by the estate of Jacob Gardner because the vehicle causing the accident is a commercial vehicle and they typically have high limits. However, I have represented an estate where the commercial vehicle did not have high limits and it was necessary to make a claim against the assets of the company. The value of Mr. Gardner’s claim will exceed $1,000,000.00 and hopefully the company owning the semi will have more insurance than the claim is worth.
There are many people driving on Kentucky roadways that have no insurance. Even though you must prove that you have insurance on your vehicle when you register it, many people will purchase the insurance on a month-to-month basis and then stop paying for it. Others, simply never register their vehicle. Regardless, if you want to be protected from uninsured drivers, you need to purchase as uninsured motorist insurance as you can afford. Fortunately, uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage are relatively cheap coverages.
I have represented the estate of people killed in auto accident and there is only $25,000.00 of insurance available for the claim. The reality for most claims is that you are limited by the insurance available. Some people may ask about making a claim against the assets of the at fault party. However, that is normally not a viable option for several reasons. If the at fault party has insurance, you want to recover that insurance and to do so you must accept the limits or they will not settle the claim. Also, people who cannot afford auto insurance or higher limits of auto insurance typically have little or no assets. If they have significant assets, they can file for bankruptcy protection which will prevent or greatly limit the recovery.
CONTACT KENTUCKY CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER
If you are involved in a car, truck or motorcycle accident, you will require the services of an experienced Kentucky car accident attorney to investigate the cause of the accident and maximize all benefits available to the victims and their families. Matthew Troutman, a Kentucky car accident lawyer, of the Troutman Law Office has been handling auto accident claims, almost exclusively, since 1986 and has the experience and talent to obtain the best result for the victims in the above car accident.
If you need legal assistance due to a motor vehicle accident, contact Kentucky car accident attorney Matthew Troutman directly at 859-696-0001 or 502-648-9507 and he will meet with you in the hospital, your home or wherever is convenient for you. He will give you direct access through his cell phone and guide you through the difficult process necessary to obtain the best result possible for you in your car accident claim. To learn more about Kentucky car accident attorney Matthew Troutman and the Troutman Law Office, click here.