When you or a loved one suffer injuries in a car accident, it is natural to worry about how you’re going to pay the bills. Medical care in the MDV can be very costly.
Don’t let fear of expense prevent you from getting a thorough medical evaluation and all of the care the doctor recommends. You deserve it.
At the same time, however, you want to take steps to ensure that the party responsible for the accident is the one who will bear financial responsibility for paying the medical bills. The best way to do that is to start working with a dedicated accident lawyer as soon as possible, because your legal counselor can gather evidence for your claim and handle communications with insurance companies and investigators who could try to trick you into saying or doing something that causes liability to shift to you instead of the driver responsible for the crash.
If You Have Health Insurance
When an accident victim has medical insurance, whether through an employer, public program such as Medicare, or through a privately purchased insurance plan, the doctors and care facilities who treat you will bill the insurance company first. That is how they operate. They don’t care who is ultimately responsible for your injuries—they just want their fees paid.
Your health insurer is likely to ask whether the injuries you suffered could be someone else’s legal responsibility, and they may try to seek reimbursement from another insurance company. This is referred to as subrogation.
Special Note for Victims with PIP Coverage
Washington DC requires car insurance companies to offer drivers the option to purchase personal injury protection or PIP coverage. This pays a certain amount toward an accident victim’s medical bills and lost wages in the event of an accident. However, using PIP coverage after an accident can impact your claims against the parties who caused the crash, so it is best to consult your attorney on how best to utilize your PIP coverage.
If You Don’t Have Health Insurance
Even if another driver is ultimately responsible for causing an accident and your injuries, you have the primary responsibility for your medical bills. The medical service is based on an arrangement between patient and provider. You would pay the bills yourself and then file a lawsuit to get compensation from the responsible driver to cover the amounts you’ve paid for medical care and make up for your other losses and suffering.
But how do you pay the bills while you’re waiting for the result of your legal action? In some cases, the health care provider will agree to provide you medical care and allow you to pay your medical bills over time. That means you can receive the medical care you need and pay the medical expenses in installments or in a lump sum later. If you receive a settlement out of court or win a judgment in court, the medical care provider can be paid from your settlement proceeds as well. It is a good idea to work with an attorney who can help you manage this type of arrangement and protect your rights in the process.
We Work to Ensure Our Clients Get the Medical Care They Need
At Johnnie Bond Law, we know medical care can be confusing and expensive, but we also know that the right care is the key to your recovery, and that’s what matters most. We work to help clients get the right evaluations and treatment to make the best possible recovery. We also work to ensure that those responsible for your injuries pay you fair compensation to make up for your losses.
For a free consultation to learn the many ways our team can assist after an accident, contact us now.