Who Pays Your Medical Bills After an Accident? ~3 min read
If you were injured in any kind of accident, whether a car accident or a slip-and-fall incident, you likely are accruing medical bills and wonder how you will ever pay them. Your healthcare providers may be nagging you for payment. At Springer & Lyle, we are committed to helping you solve this problem.
How to Get Your Medical Bills Paid After an Accident
If you were injured in a car accident and the other driver was at fault, the driver or his insurance company will likely pay, or reimburse you, for medical expenses. However, the liability insurance company will not pay a penny until you agree to sign a release. That will not happen until the case is settled.
The same is true of a slip-and-fall or any other type of accident. The one who is at fault for your accident is “eventually” responsible for paying for your medical expenses. Unlike workers’ compensation claims, these expenses will not be paid (by the at-fault party) as they are incurred.
Your own health insurance. If you have health insurance, your insurance provider will likely cover the costs of your medical care. We always recommend that our clients get the care they need and have it paid for by health insurance. There are some exceptions, Medicare claims sometimes work a little differently, but for the most part, health insurance pays first and is reimbursed later, after the case has settled.
Your own auto insurance. Although Texas law requires all drivers to carry automobile insurance, more than 8 percent of Texas drivers are on the road without car insurance. If the driver who was at fault for the car accident does not have insurance, or if the accident was a hit-and-run, your own auto insurance may provide you coverage under the uninsured motorists provisions of the policy.
No Fault Coverage. In Texas, all insured drivers have personal injury protection (PIP) coverage unless they reject it in writing. This is usually for 2,500 but can be for more. This is pure no-fault coverage and can reimburse you for medical expenses and a portion of your lost wages up to the policy limit, regardless of who caused the wreck.
Letters of Protection. In some cases, when the client does not have health insurance and is clearly injured, the attorneys can work with health care providers to get care now with the agreement that they will be paid later. This is done with letters of protection that the law firm writes on your behalf. It’s not for every case but can come into play when the need arises.
Contact Springer & Lyle for a Free Consultation
The personal injury attorneys at Springer & Lyle can help you get the reasonable compensation you are entitled for your injuries, lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other physical damage. Contact us at 940-387-0404 for a free consultation.
