Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Many of my clients ask the same question. They want to know whether or not the at-fault insurance company will pay for their medical bills when these bills become due and payable. The short answer is generally no. Let’s look at this dilemma from several different viewpoints
Injured Person Does Not Have Medical Insurance
A majority of the cases involve injured people who simply do not have insurance coverage. Due to the injuries received in a car wreck, an individual may typically treat with a hospital and perhaps several other doctors over an extended period of time. In some instances, injured folks treat with two to four doctors at different locations and these doctors will mail out bills at different points in time.
Generally speaking, a health care provider wants to be paid for their services as soon as the services are provided and become due. The hospital, emergency room independent contractor physician and the independent contractor radiologist (x-ray) will typically contract with a collection company to obtain payment from the injured individual as soon as possible. If the injured person does not pay these bills on time, then the collection company typically reports the delinquent account to a credit agency which notates the lack of payment on your credit report. Once this notation is made on your credit report, it is often impossible to remove it until the passage of time which may take seven years.
The at-fault insurance company is not responsible for paying your medical bill(s) when they become due. Rather, insurance companies typically offer a lump sum settlement, which you must use to pay out your providers. As is the case, this settlement comes after you have incurred medical bills. So what should you do? I would recommend that you should pay these bills immediately as they become due. If you cannot, then I would find an experienced personal injury attorney who will be able to contact the hospital and doctors on your behalf and negotiate an extension of time to suspend collection until after the case or lawsuit has been settled.
The at fault insurance company will attempt to take advantage of unrepresented claimants by leveraging the outstanding medical bills against the injured person by extracting a settlement wherein the insurance company will agree to pay a small set amount of medical bills (usually an arbitrary number set by the adjuster that will not fully provide an opportunity for the injured individual to receive treatment necessary to render a diagnosis and either provide relief or cure the injury) and a small amount of compensation for your pain and suffering. Because the injured person does not have medical insurance–and because the health care providers are demanding payment–the injured person feels like they have no choice and will accept this arrangement. THAT IS A MISTAKE!
If you are injured in a car accident in Georgia, Mr. Ford can help you receive the maximum compensation you deserve for your injuries, lost earnings or wages, pain and suffering, and other damages and keep the creditors off your back. The Law Offices of Kevin C. Ford is currently accepting car accident cases throughout Georgia. Please contact us today for a free consultation
Injured Person Has Medical Insurance
In this scenario, the injured individual can submit the bills to his/her insurance company for payment. There may be a deductible involved and the insurer may not agree to pay the 100 percent of the bill–and may not pay for certain treatment and services (e.g. chiropractic, acupuncture, etc.). If your insurance does not fully pay the bill, then you need to review the information at the top of this blog article as the collection company will start calling you. It is best to review your medical insurance policy to determine the scope of coverage before you incur medical and therapy bills that you are unable to pay.
Injured Person Does Not Have Medical Insurance But Has Medical Payments Insurance Coverage Under Their Car Insurance
In Georgia, some but not all auto insurance companies, offer medical payments coverage as an optional coverage under your auto insurance. The amount to purchase medical payments coverage is often quite low and you can typically buy such coverage in the following amounts: $1,000; $2,000; $5,000; $10,000; $25,000; $50,000 and $100,000, among others.
This insurance would cover the named insured, family members and guests while occupying or being struck by another motor vehicle while in your car. Generally, the medical payment insurance will pay your hospital, medical and therapy bills incurred as a result of any injury residing out of a collision irrespective of who was at fault.
In most situations, you are not required to reimburse the medical payments insurer back for medical payments made under this policy. However, some insurers have the right of reimbursement listed in the policy. If you have any questions, please contact a seasoned personal injury attorney today to help you navigate the maze of insurance coverage. If you have further questions, please see my previously posted blog on this topic and feel free to contact me with any questions.
If you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligence of a car wreck, then please contact an experienced personal injury attorney who can help navigate you through the legal maze to help you recover for your injuries.
The Law Offices of Kevin C. Ford is currently accepting car collision cases throughout Georgia. If you or a loved one has been injured as the result of the negligence of a negligent driver, then please contact us today for a free consultation and evaluation of your case.