Who Pays My Medical Bills After an Accident?

Medical debt is a leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the United States.

Even if you have strong savings and good insurance, a serious accident is more than enough to upend most working families’ finances. Co-pays, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs can quickly whittle away at bank accounts and retirement funds, depleting years’ worth of hard work in a matter of weeks.

You should not have to pay for an accident that was not your fault, but personal injury lawsuits do not resolve themselves overnight. Here are three ways you could obtain relief before your claim is settled:

A No-Fault Insurance Claim

New York is a no-fault state, and every no-fault policy must, by law, provide at least $50,000 in Personal Injury Protection benefits. Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, is a form of coverage that provides limited relief for:

1. All reasonable and necessary medical expenses arising from the accident (up to your policy limits);
2. The replacement of up to 80% of your lost income from work (capped at $2,000 per month and payable for no more than 3 years); and
3. Miscellaneous accident-related expenses, like the cost of parking at the hospital or having to take an Uber between medical appointments.

Your Health Insurance Company

After an accident, your car insurance company acts as primary coverage for collision-related injuries. In other words, your no-fault provider will pay for costs like medical bills and income replacement before your health insurance provider can step in. If and when your costs exceed your policy limits, you may be able to ask your health insurance company for help.

It is worth noting that any benefits you receive from your secondary provider are bound by that company’s terms and conditions.  New York requires no-fault carriers to provide certain benefits, but private health insurers have more leeway to reject treatments they deem medically unnecessary or unreasonable.

A Medical Lien

A medical lien is a stopgap to afford treatment in lieu of an expected personal injury settlement.

The personal injury lawsuit, after all, does not happen overnight. Even simple claims can take a long time to resolve if the defendant is noncooperative or the supreme court overseeing your case has a busy schedule. You can still pay for treatment through any applicable insurance, but you are ultimately liable for any out-of-pocket expenses.

Medical liens are a type of agreement between you and the hospital. If you tell your doctor that you are suing, they may be willing to defer payment until your claim has been resolved. If you win your case, though, you will be legally obligated to pay the doctor back before claiming the remainder of your settlement amount.

A slight risk of using a lien to pay for treatment is that you are still responsible for your bills even if you lose your case. Do not take chances with your right to compensation. A recognized U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firm, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. has spent decades filing, fighting, and winning high-stakes personal injury claims, and we have the results to prove it. Call Jed Dietrich, Esq., today at 716-839-3939 to speak to a personal injury lawyer and schedule your 100% free, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 716-839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Buffalo, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!