If you have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, you are likely facing mounting medical costs. Many accident victims are unaware that New York allows reimbursement of travel costs to and from medical appointments in a personal injury claim. Please continue reading as we explore what you should know about these matters and how our dedicated Harrison Personal Injury Attorneys can help you fight for the compensation you need to get your life back on track.
What Kinds of Travel Costs Can I Be Reimbursed for in a Personal Injury Claim in New York?
Generally, in a personal injury claim, you can seek compensation for your economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages refer to objectively measurable financial losses resulting from an injury, like medical bills or lost wages, while non-economic damages are subjective, non-monetary losses, like disfigurement and emotional distress that are harder to quantify.
In New York, you can typically be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary travel expenses to and from medical appointments. Some examples of reimbursable travel expenses include:
- Gas and Mileage: If you use your personal vehicle to travel to medical visits, you can be reimbursed for these expenses. The IRS sets mileage reimbursement rates that change annually.
- Parking Fees: If you incur any costs for parking at medical facilities, you can be compensated.
- Tolls: If you go through a highway toll while traveling to and from appointments, you may be reimbursed for these costs.
- Public Transportation: If your vehicle is being repaired or you don’t own a personal vehicle, the costs of bus, train, or rideshare services to medical appointments may be claimed.
- Rental Cars: If you need to rent a vehicle to attend medical appointments or therapy sessions, these costs can usually be recovered.
- Special Transportation: If you have suffered a serious injury and require an ambulance ride, wheelchair-accessible van, or other special transportation, you can be reimbursed for these costs.
- Out-of-Town Travel: If your physician refers you to a specialist who is located outside of New York, you can be reimbursed for your travel expenses for a specialized car that is not available locally.
How Do I Prove These Travel Expenses?
To maximize your chances of recovering compensation for your travel expenses to doctor visits and therapy sessions in a personal injury claim, you should begin tracking these costs as soon as your injury occurs and you start attending appointments. You should create a log of all of your travel expenses, including the date, the amount spent, and the reason for the visit. Keep all physical receipts from gas stations, tolls, parking garages, rideshare services, and public transportation used to travel to appointments.
If you are using your personal vehicle, you should maintain a log of your mileage, noting the date, origin, destination, and total miles driven round-trip. It is advisable to obtain a letter from your doctor stipulating why you ned the specific medical treatment and why it was necessary to travel for it. You should keep track of official invoices or billing statements from all medical providers regarding your treatment.
By documenting all your travel expenses, you can strengthen your claim and improve your chances of recovering these legitimate costs. At Hausman & Pendzick, we are prepared to provide advice tailored to your case. Connect with our firm today to schedule a consultation.