Unless you are very lucky, car accidents almost always end in someone getting hurt during the crash if you are involved in a car crash. What to expect physically after an accident can be worrisome. After it is determined that everyone is okay and you are treated for those injuries, you might be worried about what exactly happens with all those large medical expenses. Who pays medical bills after a crash anyway, and why does who paid matter with regards to your health insurance?
The biggest factor in figuring out who pays the health insurance bills has to do with negligence. Negligence proves that someone was knowingly ignoring the rules of the road and then caused the crash due to that negligence. The person at fault for the accident typically does Med Pay for the medical bills and health insurance, if you are in a ‘fault state.’ If not, then Med Pay works a little bit differently, and the other party must pay your medical bills and costs.
Proving Negligence
If the case goes to court, one of the things that each of the attorney-client defenders present are going to do is attempt to prove negligence to say that their defendant was not at fault for the accident. For example, let’s say you are driving and run a red light. You know that the rules of the road state that you can’t do this, and it’s against the law and not responsible. If you do it anyway, then you are being willfully negligent and putting others in danger which can cause an accident. A sure-fire way to risk both your car insurance policy and your health insurance policy by not being responsible! It is going to be hard for attorneys to get you free then.
Any crash caused by your reckless behavior would indeed be your fault because anyone can prove negligence based on your actions. You know that running a red light is wrong, but you performed the action anyway. If the other driver was doing something dangerous, such as texting and driving whenever he hit you, then the negligence would fall onto his shoulders. Finding the victims and who is responsible for the accident is something that our attorneys and firm can get done for you, so everyone can get paid fairly.
If the car accidents are proven to be someone else’s fault and other drivers are responsible, then that affects how your related medical bill gets paid and how that Med Pay gets paid. If you are at fault you could end up paying the entire amount owed for the accident. Read more of our blogs to learn how to dispute a car accident fault.
Who Pays Medical Bills In A Car Accident?
If you are in a vehicle crash and it is determined that you are not responsible, then the payment from your personal injury claim is calculated as paid damages. The person who injured you is by no means required to pay your medical treatment as they come in, but can instead give you a lump sum to cover the damages during the personal injury settlement. The settlement compensation typically comes from the health insurance company as they pay your medical expenses and coverage for your medical treatment with Med Pay if you are injured.
Unlike other accidents where compensation keeps coming in for future or long-lasting medical complications, accident coverage payments are a lump sum that happens to cover your medical bills and medical treatment. That’s something to keep in mind as you deal with having to pay your medical bills to the health insurance company. The related paid compensation is what you get for winning the personal injury settlement or claim, but nothing more.
Look At The State You Are In
If you are inside of a ‘no fault’ state, then your health insurance company should quickly pay for some or all of your medical bills if you are in an accident and offer Med Pay. It doesn’t matter who was at fault or the result of the settlement, all the state cares about is that they cover your bills up to the limit of your coverage. If your medical bills are higher than the no-fault limit, then you need to handle the extra bills and get coverage on your own. You won't be paid by the state if the cost is higher than the limit.
If you are on Medicare on a state-run health insurance program, then those make the payment of the bills for you. Otherwise, the bills are paid by your health insurance provider. If you do not have health insurance or Medicare then you are responsible for paying the bills related to your accident and need to talk to an insurance company and an attorney. That conversation at our law firm can have attorney-client privilege as we discuss your accidents and car insurance coverage.
Being at Fault
If you live in an at-fault state, then the other party (the one at fault) is going to be the one who should pay your medical bills once our attorneys either reach a settlement or win the court case. Due to how long the settlement process takes, you often need to have your insurance pay for everything, and then the other driver’s insurance is what reimburses you for that payment by paying your co-pays later down the road as per the settlement rules.
If you are proven to be at fault by their attorneys and law firm during the settlement, then you need to make the payment for any medical bills or treatment that your fellow driver or drivers have if they got injured. Again, this all depends on what type of state you are in, so be sure to check the rules if you are in a fault or no-fault state to see how your Med Pay and medical care works.
Who Has The Liability for The Insurance Company?
This can be a bit confusing because typically the medical bills and co-pays need to be paid by the person who was at fault. In different scenarios and settlements, it might be that both drivers share the blame and the bills, or a separate party has liability. An example of this would be a bar serving alcohol to someone who already looks intoxicated. If they get behind the wheel of a car and then cause a drunk driving accident involving you, then they might be at fault and suffer repercussions if our attorneys can prove they acted negligently during the settlement.
Mechanical failures that fall outside the realm of regular maintenance are the exact same way. For example, if the airbags unexpectedly deploy while you are driving and cause a crash, you might be able to pass the fault onto the manufacturer. Especially if it can be proven by our law firm that the airbags are defective against all types of the make and model of your vehicle and have injured other people. Then they would have to make payment for the settlement.
The mechanic or part manufacturer can be sued for your medical bills if it can be proven that they made a careless mistake and installed defective parts on your vehicle. Then they are the ones who are going to pay your medical bills because their negligence is what caused the problem for you. If the mistake hadn’t been made, you wouldn’t have had to deal with the crash and you wouldn't need Med Pay or our law firm to help you.
How do I Protect Myself From Injury While in A Vehicle?
We’re not talking about wearing seat belts or anything like that, but rather about the level of health insurance that you need to carry with you from your insurance company wherever you are driving to deal with Med Pay. You should have personal injury protection insurance (PIP) which is designed for providing a fixed amount of coverage for your medical bills and lost wages. There’s around $10,000 of medical care protection at the minimum whenever you are involved in a collision and injured.
The personal injury protection insurance should also be enough to provide all the coverage you need against any minor scrapes that you received from the crash, although you can exceed the $10,000 dollars rather quickly if your wounds start to pile up after vehicle-based accidents!
The PIP benefits are also what pays for most of your health insurance when you get injured, with your own health insurance companies paying for the rest if coverage exceeds the $10,000 minimum. Always make sure you have the proper health insurance before setting out on the road. It makes everything much easier and can protect you when accidents do happen.
Should I Talk To A Lawyer About my Health Insurance?
If you are unfamiliar with vehicle crashes and don’t know what to do, then hiring a personal injury attorney or lawyer from a good law firm is a great idea. They can help you understand your rights when it comes to your vehicle insurance, help prove negligence from the other parties during a crash, and can help you understand your medical bills and get your Med Pay. Plus, you are able to see the image of professional live chat, hi is the first thing we say! Attorneys know a lot about the medical field, especially if you hire a good attorney and a good law firm that can give you some legal advice when you tell us about your case.
If you feel like you need one, then start hiring a lawyer from a law firm, and get them in your corner as quickly as possible. Hiring an attorney as early as possible is something that you need to do, especially if you get badly hurt in the wreck and the medical bills start piling up! A reputable lawyer is able to estimate the cost of your medical bills while also figuring out who has liability and giving you legal advice on the costs of a trial.
Plus, an attorney can take actions on your behalf and even help bring the case to trial in case negotiations fail and you need to fight for your medical payments in court. Be sure to tell us about your case, and it should all fall under attorney-client privilege.
Finally, our attorney team knows how to get the most from your settlement, and we can help you pay your bills. Whether you take the settlement or we settle out of court, you are going to get your pay for your injuries.
Taking Care Of Your Medical Bills
The last thing anyone wants to deal with after getting hurt from a car accident, or even being involved in an accident, is dealing with the problems of mounting medical bills. The sad answer to who pays medical bills after a car accident is "you." However, you shouldn’t have to create that compensation on your own, and instead, the person at fault for the accident should pay for it. That's what our attorney is going to try to prove.
By working with an attorney and understanding your rights, you can make sure that you receive the largest amount of financial compensation possible, and that you can start to heal without having to worry about your medical bills.