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If I Am in an Accident, Who Should Pay My Medical Bills?
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Published: September 22, 2009
Author: Elaine Jensen
If you are in a car accident and suffer injuries, one of your first questions likely is: Who should pay my medical bills?
Many clients come to me stating that they cannot understand why their bills are not being paid by the responsible party's insurance company. Generally, no medical bills will be paid by the insurance company until the case is completely settled.
In the meantime, you should submit your medical bills to:
- Your medical payments provisions of your own automobile insurance policy, if you have it, and
- Your health insurer, if you have health insurance.
Your automobile insurer and/or health insurer will then retain a subrogated interest. That means that when your case is completed with the responsible party's insurance carrier, they may be entitled to some reimbursement out of the settlement funds for payments they have made on your behalf.
Many people make the mistake of not wanting to submit bills to their own insurance carriers, with the fear that their insurance rates will automatically increase. Insurance rates can increase with or without a claim being made. By not submitting the bills to their own insurance carriers, many people end up with their medical bills going to collections, negatively impacting their credit ratings. If you pay for insurance, you should be able to use it when the need arises.
For more information on what to do after you've been in a car accident, please contact Axley Brynelson's personal injury lawyers.
Elaine Jensen is a paralegal at the law firm of Axley Brynelson, LLP, focusing primarily on personal injury law. Contact Ms. Jensen at 608.283.6745 or ejensen@axley.com.
Axley Brynelson is pleased to provide articles, legal alerts, podcasts and videos for informational purposes, but we are not giving legal advice or creating an attorney/client relationship by providing this information. The law constantly changes, and our publications may not be currently updated. Before relying on any legal information of a general nature, please consult legal counsel as to your particular situation. While our attorneys welcome your comments and questions, keep in mind that any information you provide us, unless you are now a client, will not be confidential.
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