Who Pays Medical Bills in a Car Accident
We understand how quickly medical bills can get out of hand after a car accident. Based in Virginia Beach, Ruloff, Swain, Haddad, Morecock, Talbert & Woodward, P.C. has handled car accidents and personal injury cases throughout the Tidewater region for over 30 years. If you’re injured, our car accident attorneys work with you, the insurance companies, and the other side to pursue the compensation you need.
After every car accident, we strive to provide our clients what they need: compassion, service, and compensation for their injuries. Accident victims turn to us when they need knowledgeable lawyers who can help them handle their claims. If you’ve been injured in an accident, we want to help you seek the compensation you need to pay your medical bills and cover other losses. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Compensation for Medical Bills After Car Accident
The cost of medical treatment can add up quickly. If you were a driver injured in a car accident or passenger, and your injuries required medical treatment, there may be ways to seek compensation. Be sure to keep:
- Treatment records
- Copies of medical bills
- Prescription records
- Any other documentation related to medical treatment and rehabilitation
Our lawyers can help you organize the bills and draft a demand letter to seek compensation from insurers.
Who Pays Medical Bills in a Car Accident?
Pursuing compensation for medical bills in a car accident can be complicated. Our experienced lawyers can help you sort through the process. If you’ve been injured there may be a few parties who could compensate you for your bills.
Does Health Insurance Cover Car Accidents
If you’ve been injured, the following insurance coverage may help you cover your medical bills:
- Your health insurance should cover your medical bills after a car accident. Health insurance can be thought of as a cover-all policy that will assist you in most situations. In some cases, your health insurer may seek reimbursement from your auto insurance or from others who were involved in the accident and their insurance companies.
Health insurers will need accurate and complete records of your claim. If you’re going to submit a claim for medical bills to your health insurance, be sure to keep copies of your bills, your treatment reports, and other medical records.
- Auto insurance policies may cover your medical bills. The terms of your policy and the other driver’s policy will determine who pays and how much. In Virginia, motorists are required to carry at least a minimum amount of insurance that will cover you and others in an accident. These include:
- Bodily injury covers others you may injure in a crash, but it does not cover your medical bills.
- Property damage covers property damage you may cause.
- Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Bodily Injury may cover some or all of your medical bills in accidents where the party who hit you was uninsured or had too little coverage.
- Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Property Damage may cover your property losses if you are hit by an uninsured driver or an underinsured driver.
In Virginia, your own policy may also cover your medical bills if you have an optional medical expense benefit. This benefit may cover your medical bills up to the policy limit, regardless of who was at fault. It’s important to note, though, that this optional benefit is exactly that: optional. It is worth reviewing your insurance policy and speaking with a lawyer to understand if this benefit applies.
The other driver’s auto insurance may cover your medical bills if the other driver was at fault. In Virginia, drivers are required to carry a minimum amount of bodily injury insurance: $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. The at-fault driver may carry higher limits. If the at-fault driver had no insurance, you may be able to turn to the Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage in your own policy.
Workers’ compensation may cover your medical bills if you were injured in a car accident while on the job. If your job requires you to travel, your employer’s insurance policies may cover your medical bills due to a work-related car accident regardless of who was at fault for the crash. It’s important to understand what you were doing at the time of the accident and whether you fall under workers’ compensation coverage. If you’re unsure, you should speak to a lawyer.
4 Tips for Handling Medical Bills Related to a Crash
- Keep track of your medical bills. Don’t assume that someone else will track your treatment for you. Retain copies of all bills, receipts, and records of payment. Doctors can leave practice and rehabilitation facilities can move. Accidents happen to people. They can also happen to records. Your records will help build your claim.
- If you require ongoing treatment or rehabilitation for a car accident injury, be consistent in your treatment. Follow doctor’s orders, attend appointments, take medications, and do everything you need to comply with your treatment plan. When you’re making a claim for injuries, you need to show that the injuries were genuine and that they required medical treatment.
- Keep a log of injuries, symptoms, and treatments. To seek compensation for long-term treatment, you may need to show your pain and injuries regularly harmed you. A log of your injuries and how you feel can help you recover compensation for your medical bills.
- Work with a lawyer to understand your medical bills and your claim. Insurers may deny legitimate claims, especially in cases where the cause of the accident isn’t clear. A lawyer can help you understand what actions you should take to get compensation for your injuries.
We Can Help You Pursue Compensation for Your Medical Bills After a Car Accident
Car accidents can leave victims with mountains of medical bills. If you have been injured in a vehicle accident and required medical treatment, there may be compensation available. At Ruloff, Swain, Haddad, Morecock, Talbert & Woodward, P.C. we know how to deal with medical bills from car accident injuries.
We have represented car victims throughout the Tidewater area and beyond. We understand the challenges of working with insurers and medical providers on compensation issues. We have decades of experience fighting for car accident victims just like you. If you have been injured in a car accident, contact us today for a free consultation about your best legal options.