How Are Medical Bills Paid After A Car Accident?

How Are Medical Bills Paid After A Car Accident?

If you get hurt in an accident which is the fault of someone else, you might be curious as to who is going to pay for any medical treatment that you require. It's great to get a personal injury settlement. In the event that you need to file a personal injury lawsuit and then go to trial, then a favorable verdict is also a good outcome.

However, neither of those future outcomes is going to pay any of your current medical bills. Keep reading to learn how your medical bills can get paid on a continuing basis, as much of it depends on the state where you reside and what kind of insurance coverage applies.

The biggest thing that you need to be aware of is that following an accident, you're going to be generally responsible for paying medical bills as they are incurred. There are typically only two exceptions. The first is car accidents happening in 'no-fault states. The second is accidents that wind up involving 'med pay' or 'medical payments' insurance coverage.

If someone who injured you is obviously the one at fault, or if the court deems that at fault, then that person has to pay your damages. In personal injury cases, medical treatment is a huge part of those damages. Having said that, the defendant isn't required to pay your medical bills while they are rolling in.

If you get injured in a vehicular accident, then the quick payment of any medical bills might depend on whether or not an accident took place in a no-fault state. No-fault vehicle insurance means that your own insurance coverage pays either a portion or even all of your medical bills as a result of a car accident. This typically happens much faster than it does in at-fault states, and it happens irrespective of who happened to be at fault for the particular accident, up to any limits listed with the no-fault coverage.

Once your medical bills surpass the no-fault limit of the state you live in, then you're the one responsible for making sure they get paid. Keep in mind that if you have any health insurance, then that coverage will kick in to pay any remaining medical bills you have. If you're on either Medicare or a state-operated program through Medicaid, then your bills will be paid by those entities. If you don't have any health insurance or government assistance, then you're going to be responsible for making payment arrangements with health care providers.

You should also note that if your injuries wind up qualifying as being serious enough or the medical bills you rack up go over a particular amount, then you will have the option of stepping outside a state's no-fault system. Then, you can file a conventional liability claim against the driver who is at-fault. However, this process is inevitably going to take time to resolve conclusively, which means you'd still have to find a payment source for any medical bills coming in.

Most states are fault states or at-fault states instead of no-fault areas. However, even with car accidents in this majority, you're typically going to still be responsible for handling your own medical bills while they are accumulating. On the other hand, there are some drivers in such states with 'med pay' or 'medical payment' coverage.

This kind of coverage pays medical bills for passengers and drivers injured in a car accident up to as much as the policy limits listed, which are typically under $10,000. Once your bills go past the policy limits of med pay coverage, then you're again responsible for the payments. Medical payment coverage isn't always required, so if neither the at-fault driver or you have this kind of coverage, then you're again responsible for paying medical bills that health insurance doesn't cover.

If you have serious injuries – and serious medical bills – then making sure that your bills are paid can be a long and complex process. The stress and work in contacting your insurers to pay medical bills after a car accident can distract you from focusing on your health and recovery.

You may benefit from speaking with an attorney about sorting out your bills or what to say to an insurance adjuster. At a free personal injury initial consultation, a car accident attorney can give you advice about how to handle your claim on your own or, in more serious cases, what steps you can take to strengthen your claim.

Lakota R. Denton is an Asheville, North Carolina personal injury attorney who helps people who have been involved in motor vehicle accidents including car, truck and motorcycle accidents. Visit the firm’s website if you have any questions related to how to pay your medical bills after a car accident.