Handling Your Medical Expenses After a Car Accident

 Posted on March 18, 2022 in Personal Injury

When a person is injured in a car accident, it is important for him or her to seek medical care. In the United States, of course, medical care costs real money. One of the most common questions after such an accident revolves around which party or parties are responsible for these costs. Depending on the details that led to your crash, the at-fault party is likely to be responsible for your medical bills, but getting your medical bills paid may take a substantial amount of time. What are you supposed to do in the meantime?

Covering Your Costs

Filing a claim for compensation in a personal injury situation is an important step, but processing the claim takes time. It is not always immediately clear who was at fault, and even if liability is clear, insurance companies often do not pay out claims immediately.

Your health, however, is most important, so you should not wait to get the care you need. Therefore, you might need to start by covering your own costs or having your medical care billed to your health insurance. You could also file a claim with your own auto insurance company to ensure that your bills will be covered while you wait for your personal injury compensation to arrive. If the at-fault party’s insurance does come through, your health or auto insurance carrier can recover any money paid out in advance through a process called subrogation.

If you currently do not have any kind of insurance to cover your medical bills, a qualified injury lawyer can help you find doctors and facilities that will work with you in deferring payments until you receive your settlement. You may need to sign a doctor’s lien or something similar, but your attorney can help you understand all of the requirements. If you are receiving bills for care you already received but have no way to pay them, your attorney could help keep collections activity to a minimum while your case is in progress. Any settlement you ultimately receive should include compensation for your medical expenses.

An Arlington Heights Personal Injury Attorney Can Help

With medical bills continuing to mount, you might be tempted to accept the first offer made by the at-fault party, their attorney, or their insurance company. Typically, it is a bad idea to accept the first offer. In many cases, a quick first offer fails to account for long-term medical needs, such as ongoing physical rehabilitation, psychological injuries, or pain and suffering. Instead of agreeing to a quick settlement, contact an Arlington Heights car accident lawyer at Newland & Newland LLP. Call 847-797-8000 for a free consultation and case review today.

Source:

https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/Insurance/Consumers/ConsumerInsurance/Auto/Pages/Auto.aspx