If you have been in a serious car crash in Iowa, you were likely injured and needed medical treatment for your injuries.
Even if the other driver was clearly at fault, be aware that neither they nor their insurance company have to pay your car accident medical bills until they have been ordered to do so by a judge. Unless you are ready to settle your case for good, it’s likely the other driver’s insurance company will not pay you any money for your medical bills.
Treat Your Car Accident Injuries until You’re Healed
That’s why a good car accident lawyer will tell you that it’s important to continue to treat your injuries until you’re completely healed, or until a doctor says you’re as healed as you’re going to get. Medical bills related to your car accident will continue to add up while you treat your injuries. Once you sign settlement paperwork, the other driver’s insurance company no longer has to pay for anything else for that particular accident. If you settle your case before you are completely healed and you receive more bills for your treatment, the insurance company is not required to pay those bills.
Once your doctor says you are healed, your car accident attorney will then have a complete record of what your bills are from the accident. This will help them determine how much to demand for a settlement with the insurance company.
Unfortunately, the settlement process can take a long time. If you let your medical bills sit unpaid that entire time, bill collectors can – and will – try to collect on their debts. If you are not able to pay the bills out of your own pocket, this could potentially impact your credit.
Paying Your Car Accident Medical Bills While Waiting to Settle Your Case
So how do you pay your medical bills while you are waiting for your settlement? Here are some options.
- Submit your medical bills to your own health insurance company. After your car accident lawyer settles your case, you’ll probably have to reimburse your insurance company for the bills they covered while you were waiting for your settlement check. This is called subrogation, and is common in personal injury claims. Often your car accident attorney can get your payments lowered so you are able to keep more of your settlement.
- Use the medical payment coverage in your auto insurance policy. This type of coverage will pay medical bills for you and any passengers. If you have this type of coverage in your policy, contact your insurance company to see what the policy limits are.
- Set up payments with your health care providers. Often providers will set up a payment schedule where you can pay very little each month. This may be a good option if you do not have health insurance.
Until you settle your car accident claim with the insurance company, make sure your medical bills are still getting paid. If you need help settling your car accident claim, call RSH Legal at 1-319-774-1542 or download our FREE Law Guide to Iowa Car Accident Claims for more information.
