Who Pays My Medical Bills During A Car Accident Settlement?
A: Your insurance company will cover your medical expenses as per your policy until a settlement or verdict is reached with the liable party.
However, understanding further details and intricacies requires a little knowledge of a principle called the collateral source, especially for car accidents in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland.
What Is The Collateral Source Rule?
The collateral source rule is derived from the common law. Under this principle, the defendant who caused your accident because of his or her negligence is not allowed to have the amount that he or she is required to pay you in a verdict award or settlement reduced because an independent source made payments for you.
How Much Of My Medical Bills Will Be Covered?
If the defendant in your car accident case is found to be liable for causing $500,000 in medical expenses required to treat your injuries, he or she will not be able to have the amount reduced by the amounts that your insurance company might pay on your behalf.
Maryland, D.C., and Virginia all follow the collateral source rule, which means that the defendant’s insurance company will not be allowed to reduce your award by any amounts that your own health insurance company has paid to treat your injuries.
Who Will Ultimately Be Liable For Paying My Medical Bills?
Who will ultimately be responsible for paying your medical bills will depend on whether your car accident happened in D.C., Maryland, or Virginia. D.C. and Virginia follow no-fault rules for accidents while Maryland is considered to be a fault state for determining the responsibility for paying.
In D.C. Car Accident Injury Cases: you can either submit your claim to your personal injury protection coverage to have your own insurance company pay for your medical expenses up to the policy limits of your PIP coverage OR…
…file a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
In Virginia Car Accident Injury Cases: Virginia similarly allows drivers to file claims with their personal injury protection policies regardless of fault.
However, you are allowed to file a claim against the at-fault party instead to try to recover compensation for your medical expenses from his or her policy.
In Maryland Car Accident Injury Cases: Maryland is a fault state, which means that the party or parties that were liable for causing your accident will be required to pay for your medical expenses.
Who Pays Car Accident Medical Bills Before Settlement Is Reached?
While your claim is pending, your health insurance company will pay your medical bills minus your deductibles.
Who Pays Car Accident Medical Bills If I Don’t Have Insurance?
If you are uninsured, your lawyers may try to negotiate with your medical providers to try to reduce the total amount that you might have to pay for your medical costs until your claim is resolved.
More Questions? Need A Free Consultation? Just Call.
We understand this information may be a little overwhelming but, if you have questions, give us a call… many people who have suffered serious injuries in car accidents wonder who will pay for their medical bills. It is common for people who have been seriously injured in accidents as the result of someone else’s actions to face substantial medical costs together with a reduction in their ability to earn money through work.
If you were injured as a result of car accident that was another driver’s fault, call today for a free consultation – our car accident attorneys are happy to help answer questions.