Often, medical bills can start adding up quickly after a car accident adding additional stress to an already stressful event! This is especially true if the accident was severe requiring emergency and advanced medical care. Treatment and recovery can take months and that means months of medical bills as well.
When determining who pays the medical bills from a car accident we look at many resources available to help reduce the impact these bills will have on you.
LOOKING AT THE AT-FAULT PERSON’S INSURANCE
During the course of our investigations into your case, we will contact the at-fault person’s insurance for coverage for medical bills. We will obtain the coverage limits and ensure liability has been accepted as quickly as possible.
Your Insurance Coverages
In the event the person who caused your accident does not have enough insurance coverage to pay your medical bills, we would then look to your insurance to help cover your medical costs. In the State of Georgia, this will not negatively impact your insurance coverage and your rates should not be affected as long as you are not listed as ‘at-fault’ or partial ‘at-fault’ in the accident. If you pay for this coverage, you should use it when it is needed. When looking at your insurance we would look at what is called ‘UM’ or Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage. This coverage exists on your insurance policy, if you elected it at the time you took out your policy, to cover any expenses not covered by the insurance coverage of the person who caused the accident.
We strongly encourage you to contact your automobile insurance provider and ask them if you have coverage for UM and ‘MedPay,’ which are often times not automatically part of your insurance plan.
MedPay coverage pays reasonable and necessary medical expenses for you and others injured in an auto accident while riding in or driving your vehicle. Medical payments coverage applies, according to the terms and conditions of the policy, regardless of who is at fault. Call your Automobile Insurance Carrier to make sure you have this coverage. If added after your accident, it will not provide coverage for THIS accident, but would apply for any accident after the date added. If these coverages exist on your policy, the medical costs would then be billed to your coverage for payment. Again, this should not affect your insurance rates in the State of Georgia, but you cannot use it if you do not have it.
If These Coverages Do Not Exist For Either Party
If neither you nor the person who caused the accident have the above mentioned policy coverages, you still have resources available. The medical payments in this instance would simply be negotiated down and the settlement offer negotiated up as much as possible and all medical expenses would be paid from the final settlement. Please understand the law may require we pay the medical providers and these payments are not optional.
This does reduce the potential amount you will get from your settlement however. Since the medical bills are paid from the settlement, it lowers the amount that you may receive in your pocket. This is why we encourage you to contact your automobile insurance carrier to ensure you are protected with these coverages. It helps you in the long run if ever you find yourself in the unfortunate circumstance of a car accident, but you can only obtain the coverage prior to the accident for it to be covered.
Contact our Law Firm Office Today
It is our job to ensure, in spite of coverage limitations, you obtain the best possible settlement with medical bills paid and peace of mind. If you or a loved one is ever involved in an accident, it’s best to consult with a specialized attorney as quickly as possible, such as the Law Offices of Matthew C. Hines. Contact our firm at (770) 941-0913 for your free consultation.
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