No one asks to be injured in a car accident, and no one wants to handle all the medical bills that accrue following the accident. Even if you don’t feel you’ve been injured in an accident, it’s wise to seek medical treatment following the accident. There are so many injuries that don’t appear obvious when you are in the moment, but they do appear over time. There are internal injuries and others you can’t see that might cause you some long-term health issues if they’re not discovered and treated right away. Whether your injuries are obvious or you had to find them following an accident, you have medical bills. Even with insurance, medical bills pile up quickly when you treat injuries. It’s especially true if your injuries are serious or ongoing, and you need frequent medical treatment or visits to the doctor to remain healthy and safe.
Who is responsible for paying those medical bills if you were involved in an accident because someone else hit your car with their own? The other driver is responsible, correct? Before you forward your medical bills to the other driver or their insurance agency to await payment, you should know how the process of paying medical bills following a car accident works. It’s complicated, and it’s not always the answer you want to hear.
The Factors
Unfortunately, there is no yes or no or this person answer to this kind of question. Who pays your medical bills following an accident depends largely on where you live, where your accident occurred, and the laws in place in that area of the country. If the accident occurred in a no-fault state, the driver of the other vehicle is not responsible for your medical bills. States like this require all drivers, regardless of fault, handle their own accident claims with their own insurance. Your own insurance is the entity responsible for paying for all or a portion of your medical bills if you have an accident in a no-fault state.
To make matters more complicated, the law in most states dictates insurance companies aren’t required to pay more than $10,000 in medical bills if it’s a no-fault state. This means you could be in serious financial trouble if you sustained serious, life-changing, ongoing, or catastrophic injuries. It’s up to you to rely on your health insurance or to make payment arrangements with the person offering you medical care following an accident of this nature. It seems unfair, and it probably is.
If your accident occurs in a state that doesn’t abide by the no-fault rule, you still have a $10,000 insurance cap in place with the other driver’s insurance. This leaves many accident victims in serious financial trouble when the money runs out and the bills pile up as injuries are treated on an ongoing basis. It’s not ideal, but it’s what the law states is in effect in almost every state.
Lawsuits
If you have excessive medical bills following an accident, you are not alone. Many people are involved in accidents that result in serious injuries. A car that burns and causes burns to the passengers, someone who is hit by a larger vehicle, someone who is in a coma or suffers brain or spinal cord damage, or even numerous other injuries are going to spend weeks, months, and even years undergoing medical treatment. Some people are required to use medical treatment the rest of their lives in a situation like this. This happens when catastrophic injuries occur. This can cause you to lose your job, to become unable to ever work again, and to require medical help for the rest of your life.
This is when an accident attorney is your best solution. An accident attorney will help you file a lawsuit against the driver of the other car who injured you. This lawsuit is filed to seek damages. Damages are designed to help you pay for excessive medical bills, lost wages, and even funeral costs if you pass or someone else in your vehicle passes away. These lawsuits take time, they are not always simple to prove, and there are many negotiations involved in accidents and lawsuits of this nature. There is always hope you can seek medical damages to help with ongoing medical bills.
If you believe your medical bills are something someone else should be responsible for following an accident, now is the time to contact a personal injury attorney who specializes in helping accident victims find the compensation they deserve after an accident occurs. It’s a process, and it’s best to begin as soon as possible. There’s no time to waste seeking compensation for medical bills that pile up every day following an accident.