If you are the victim of a car accident, the at-fault driver owes you compensation. But filing a claim and reaching a settlement takes time, and your injuries can’t wait. Who pays medical bills after an accident until you receive the money you deserve?

Luckily, a personal injury attorney can review your insurance coverage and create a strategy to coordinate paying medical bills after an accident. This way, you can start on the road to recovery immediately while they investigate the crash, research your options, and negotiate a fair settlement.

The Best Approach to Medical Bill Payments After a Personal Injury

Mounting medical bills for a personal injury can add worry to an already stressful situation. Not only are victims facing weeks, months, or even longer to heal from their injuries, but they’re also concerned about medical debt, especially if they are unable to work.

Everyone’s situation is unique, but most people have at least one resource they can tap into when it comes to medical bill payments after a personal injury. An experienced attorney can uncover all available insurance coverage and payment options and help you decide how to use them for the maximum benefit.

Managing medical payments immediately after an accident is an important part of seeking compensation. The funds from these resources can help ease the financial burden and limit out-of-pocket medical expenses while the case makes its way through the claims (or litigation) process.

The most common options for paying medical bills after an accident include:

• Private Health Insurance
• Medical Payment Insurance
• Personal Injury Protection
• Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
• Medical Liens
• Lawsuit Loans
• Out-of-Pocket Payments

Private Health Insurance

A victim’s health insurance is the first line of defense for medical bills after an injury. Providing proof of insurance is standard procedure in an emergency room or at a doctor’s visit. 

Right after a crash, the extent of your injuries is unclear, as is the cost and length of treatment. Health insurance will get you the help you need. Your attorney can track your deductible and any out-of-pocket costs associated with your care and figure them into the amount of your claim so you can be reimbursed.

Medical Payment Insurance

Medical Payment Insurance, or MedPay, is optional coverage that can be purchased with a car insurance policy. It is available in New Mexico, Texas, and Illinois, the states where Kane Personal Injury practices law. For people who only carry the minimum required liability coverage, MedPay can help fill in the gaps for immediate expenses, no matter who is at fault for the accident.

Drivers can choose their physician network and their benefit level, ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. There is no deductible, but MedPay can only be used for medical costs. The payout may also be subject to subrogation. This means that if a victim receives a settlement from an at-fault driver’s insurance company, they must reimburse their insurance carrier. MedPay in Texas and New Mexico is subject to subrogation. In Illinois, it may or may not, depending on the specific details of the policy.

Personal Injury Protection

Texas drivers have the opportunity for another optional insurance add-on called Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. Similar to MedPay, it covers medical bills no matter who is at fault, but it can also pay for lost wages and other accident-related services. New Mexico and Illinois policies do not offer PIP.

Texas insurance companies automatically include $2,500 of PIP coverage. Policyholders can buy up to $10,000 of PIP, or opt out of the coverage entirely. Funds must be paid back only if the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured. 

UM/UIM

Who pays medical bills after an accident if you’re hit by a driver with little or no insurance? An Uninsured Motorist (UM) and Underinsured Motorist (UIM) policy can help make up for the at-fault driver’s lack of coverage. 

In New Mexico and Texas, UM/UIM is optional coverage that can be added to a policy. Illinois, on the other hand, mandates both UM and UIM in an amount matching the driver’s liability coverage. (This amount is currently $25,000 for a single victim and $50,000 per accident.)

Medical Liens

A medical lien is a financial tool that can help victims afford treatment for their injuries while their case is pending. In exchange for providing immediate care, physicians and other medical professionals file a legal claim against part of your future settlement. Like the attorney’s contingency fees, the lien is paid first, then the remainder of the compensation is given to the victim. Often, personal injury attorneys can provide contact information for physicians willing to do medical liens and will draw up the necessary contracts. 

Lawsuit Loans

Also called pre-settlement funding, lawsuit loans come from financial lenders. The company lends victims money, which they pay back with settlement compensation, along with a fee. Unlike a medical lien, the borrower can use the money for anything they need, such as child care while they’re recovering, mortgage payments while they’re unable to work, or even groceries.

On the plus side, pre-settlement funding companies often assume all the risk, meaning you may not need to pay the money back if you lose your case. However, these loans often come with steep fees if you do win. An attorney can help you understand the terms of a lawsuit loan to ensure it is fair and you won’t be left with a burden of medical debt. 

Out-of-Pocket

Paying for an injury out-of-pocket can be quite a financial burden, especially when you are unable to work until you heal. Out-of-pocket medical expenses should be a last resort, but even with insurance, some payment might be necessary to ensure you’re getting everything you need. Keeping receipts and notes of everything you pay is essential. These records will help your personal injury attorney document the costs and include them in your claim. 

Get Help Paying Medical Bills After an Accident

There is a lot more to recovering from a car crash than healing your wounds. You will also need to navigate a confusing maze of insurance policies and payment options to figure out how to pay for treatment without going into medical debt. It’s even more complicated since it could take months before you know the final cost.

The personal injury attorneys at the Law Office of Samuel I. Kane, P.A. can do much more to help you after an accident than simply file a claim. Their main goal is to get you the compensation you deserve to make you whole. They have experience assessing insurance benefits to make sure you’re getting the most from your policies. And if you don’t have insurance, they’ll help find other ways to get you the treatment you deserve.

Contact us today for a consultation.