An injury in any form throws a kink in your plans. You may not have the financial resources to cover the disparity in what the insurance covers and the actual damages to your vehicle. You may also be hurt, but without medical insurance coverage for the time. Are injuries caused by an accident covered by the insurance company, or will you be unable to get help? Take a look at how accident injuries may be handled, with and without private medical insurance.
Payment Due When Services Rendered
As in most medical practices, when you go to seek treatment from a doctor, you must be able to pay for the service. After an accident, you may require medical care of varying levels. When you do, the providers may expect money upfront to treat you. If you don’t have health insurance, you may have to get help at the hospital. Emergency rooms are typically required to treat patients, even if they do not have medical coverage. However, you are still responsible for the bills that accumulate as a result of this treatment. Even if a car accident wasn’t your fault, most insurance companies do not start paying out until the investigation and claim are settled. In the meantime, you will have to do your best to pay what you can or forego treatment.
Personal Injury Insurance Coverage
Some auto insurance policies may contain a medical clause for personal injuries. If you have a policy that allows for this, you may have some of your medical treatment paid for once your claim is received and begins processing. This first prong is through your insurance company, and once it is used up, you are left holding the bills. If the other driver’s insurance policy also has medical coverage and that driver is found to be at fault right away, there is a chance that those benefits will pick up fairly quickly. Some states require drivers to carry medical as part of their policy, while others do not. It is critical that you understand where your state law stands.
Lawsuit Options
After the investigation concludes and you are cleared of responsibility for the crash, the other driver and their insurance company may pay for your damages, including medical. However, there are policy limits, and once those are reached, the insurer will stop paying for property damage and medical bills. At this point, you may want to file a lawsuit against the driver personally to recover money civilly.
Insurance laws differ from state to state, and as such, an auto accident lawyer, like an auto accident lawyer in Memphis, TN, in your city is a valuable resource. You may want to consider retaining the services of someone who understands how medical claims work after a car crash.
Thanks to Wiseman Bray PLLC for their insight into whether medical insurance will cover car accident injuries.