If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, it’s best to get necessary care now and seek compensation later
Car accidents have the potential to result in very serious injuries, including head injuries, spinal cord injuries, internal injuries, broken bones, lacerations, and soft tissue injuries. If you have been seriously hurt in a car accident, your health should be your number one priority. Unfortunately, for many people concerns about how to pay for medical care cause stress and prevent them from focusing fully on their recovery.
Here are some tips that can help you figure out the best way to handle your medical bills after a car accident in California.
Don’t Refuse or Delay Medical Care
Even if you aren’t sure how you will pay for it, it is important to get any necessary medical care promptly after a car accident. If you do not get this care, there is more than your health at stake. Insurance adjusters often use “delay in treatment” as an excuse to deny claims after a car accident. The reasoning is that if the car accident victim didn’t rush to the hospital for treatment they must not have really been hurt as badly as they later claimed.
You Are Entitled to Emergency Medical Care
Even if you do not have health insurance, you are entitled to emergency medical treatment under state and federal law. However, this treatment is not free—you just don’t have to pay for it upfront. The hospital will probably bill you directly for any care provided.
Check for Med-Pay Coverage on Your Car Insurance
If your car insurance policy has Med-Pay coverage, you will be able to use it to help pay for your medical care. Med-Pay benefits are typically not very large, but they can help with co-pays and other out-of-pocket expenses, which may be considerable even if you have health insurance.
Consider Hiring a Car Accident Lawyer
If you believe that your car accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, you can file a car accident injury claim in order to recover compensation. In many cases, this compensation will be sufficient to cover your medical bills. However, bear in mind that the amount of compensation available may be restricted by the policy limits on the insurance belonging to the party who caused your accident. Also, if you win your case, you may be required to repay your Med-Pay insurance provider and your health insurance provider for the portion of treatment that they paid for.
That said, it is still worthwhile to pursue a car accident injury claim in the majority of cases. To learn more about this process, and to find out if you have valid legal grounds to make a claim, contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 for a free consultation. We will fight for you as your car accident lawyer.
