Generally speaking, there is coverage for medical expenses provided by the insurance companies that are involved in a traffic accident.
For example, many states require a “no-fault” provision included in motor vehicle insurance policies, which provide coverage for medical expenses.
Keep in mind however, that there are often limits on the amount of medical expenses that will be covered.
Any medical bills not covered by this provision will be presented to your health insurance provider and will be subject to co-payments, deductibles, and health insurance limits.
Consult with an attorney here at Avrek Law, to establish the best strategy for handling your medical bills.
Who Pays The Medical Bills?
If you have health insurance and have been injured in a car accident, the payment of your medical bills will depend on:
the state law where the accident occurred
the terms of your health insurance policy
and the terms of the insurance policies of any other cars involved.
In California, generally, all cars are required to have insurance that includes medical coverage that pays up to $2,000 in medical bills for a car accident.
After the auto insurance has paid the initial sum of $2,000 in medical expenses, additional medical bills are presented to your health insurance company to be paid according to your health insurance policy and therefore will be subject to co-payments, deductibles, and limits thereof.
It is important to understand the terms of your health insurance policy, as many of the policies allow the health insurance company to take a portion of your settlement as a coverage refund.
In addition, some auto insurance policies offer additional coverage for medical expenses beyond the mandatory $2,000, so this should also be reviewed.
If you do not have health insurance and you have been injured in a car accident, the payment of your medical bills will depend on the state law and the insurance policy conditions of the involved cars.
In California, generally, all cars are required to have insurance that covers up to $8,000 in uninsured medical expenses for the uninsured.
After auto insurance has paid $8,000 in medical bills, additional medical bills will be payable deducting from the negotiated compensation case.
In addition, some auto insurance policies offer additional coverage for medical expenses beyond the mandatory $8,000.
What is Subrogation & How Does it Work?
Like most people who have insurance already know, insurance companies hate to pay claims.
Obviously, claims that pay less, mean more money for them.
- Subrogation
Often, even when an insurance company pays money in connection with your injury, they find someone they can try to collect and receive a refund for at least a portion of the total amount they paid.
This is known as “subrogation” in law, or “one person or party stands in the place of another”.
The term refers to the right of the insurance company to recover money after you are paid during a claim.
It also refers to claims made by emergency rooms, ambulance companies, and other medical providers who have lent money and are making a claim to recover their explenses from the guilty party as a result of your injury.
There is nothing illegal or unprofessional about subrogation, however, it is a part of the insurance business and the law that many people are not aware of.
It is often the first thing injured people are told when medical expenses are recovered after another insurance company pays their medical bills.
When Will My Bills Be Paid?
The time required to process a personal injury claim usually depends on how long the person requires medical treatment because of injuries.
Once the medical treatment is complete, medical records must be obtained and provided to the insurance company evaluating the claim, after which the negotiations can begin.
This negotiation process usually takes three to six months after the medical treatment is completed.
If a matter is complicated (i.e. there are questions about who is to blame for the accident or incident or if there are doubts towards if the injuries were caused by the accident or incident), more time may be needed to conclude the case.
The same happens if a lawsuit is filed, since the duration will be subject to the schedule of the court.
Why Hire an Attorney?
At Avrek Law Firm, our Californian personal injury lawyers are experienced and we will obtain the best results for our clients.
Avrek Law firm will take the appropriate measures to:
- Carry out a thorough assessment of your accident injury case
- Manage your case while keeping you informed about the progress of it at each stage of the process.
- Answer your questions and calls in a timely and professional manner.
- Negotiate firmly and effectively on your behalf with the insurance companies involved and, in some cases, with the medical providers.
Main Injuries That Cause Huge Medical Bills
No matter what type of accident you have had, whether on a motorcycle, car, truck, or bus – or another completely different accident -, you are most likely to be concerned about hospital bills, medical expenses, and other financial issues resulting from the accident.
The most common way to deal with this is to contact a personal injury attorney who can help, but one of the things that our clients are most surprised about is that not only can they get compensation for past medical expenses, they can also receive it for future ones.
- Your medical bills could cost millions
For the most serious catastrophic injuries, such as those to the spinal cord or brain, the cost of rehabilitation can easily cost millions throughout a person’s life.
In fact, according to a foundation study, a person who is 25-years-old and involved in an accident that leaves them paraplegic, can end up paying at least $2 million over the course of their life.
Remember that these costs can include things like medicine, physiotherapy, hospitalizations, rehabilitation, and home nursing expenses.
Having said that, it does not necessarily have to be a catastrophic injury for costs to be significant.
Even something that looks small, like a soft tissue injury, may require years of medical and chiropractic expenses.
Only experts will really be able to evaluate the long-term cost of your injury.
Never trust that an insurance company will offer you fair compensation.
Even if it is your own insurance company, remember that they have only one goal: to make money.
This forces them to try to pay as little as possible in all cases they may receive.
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