When people get hurt in an auto accident, they often wonder who is going to pay for the medical treatment that they need. Getting a personal injury settlement or a verdict at trial in a personal injury claim is great, but it doesn’t help you pay your medical bills immediately. It depends on the type of accident that you are involved in, the state that you reside in and the type of insurance involved. Being injured in an auto accident generally translates into huge medical bills.
If you were transported to the emergency room in a hospital by an ambulance, you will be responsible for footing the bill of the ambulance ride, the emergency room bill, the doctor’s fee, diagnostic testing costs such as x-rays, MRIs or CT scans as well as costs related to any medical procedures that you may have to undergo.
It is critical to remember whenever you get into an accident that you are typically responsible for the payment of your medical bills as you incur them. However, an exception is found for car accidents in no fault states where even if the person who injured you is clearly at fault, the law does not obligate them to pay your medical bills on an ongoing basis.
In no fault states, the law requires that if the other person is at fault, they have to pay you damages in order to resolve the lawsuit. In the majority of those cases, medical bills are a part of damages awarded, however the defendant does not have to pay your medical bills as you incur them. If you have health insurance then your health insurance pays a portion of the bill and you are deemed responsible for the deductible amount along with any co-payments that you are required to make despite your health insurance coverage.
However, in cases where you were not at fault for the crash and the other person is clearly at fault and also has ample car insurance coverage to pay for your bills, It would be foolish to expect the car insurance carrier to pay for medical bills right away. In order to get the insurance company to pay for your medical bills, they would typically want you to sign a bodily injury settlement release. If you sign that bodily injury settlement release in order to get your medical bills paid, then there is a good chance that you may lose your right to pursue any other damages in the future. When someone decides not to sign the bodily injury settlement release, they will have to pay their outstanding medical bills on their own and later submit an personal injury claim to the insurance company after finishing the required medical treatment.
A competent personal injury attorney will advise you not to settle your case just to pay off medical bills. The insurance company will undercut the value of your claim by offering to pay your medical bills because they understand that you want to resolve your case quickly. Therefore, they will attempt to settle your case for less than what it is worth because it saves them money. Every dollar that is denied to a claimant goes to fill up the coffers of these insurance companies. Never let insurance companies take you for a ride by making sure to consult with an experienced Temecula personal injury lawyer.