If I Am in an Accident, Who Should Pay My Medical Bills?

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.

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