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Most people are under the impression that they do not need to worry about paying medical bills as long as they have a car insurance policy and are not the at-fault party in a car accident. After all, paying for any medical treatment costs is the responsibility of the negligent driver, right?
Technically, that is true, but most people do not realize that the at-fault driver is not required to pay medical bills as they come in. Therefore, until the medical treatment is complete or the personal injury claim has been finalized, all medical expenses are the victim's responsibility.
Depending on how serious the car accident was, the cost of medical treatment can be substantial. If the victim does not have any emergency funds readily available for such circumstances, they can find the growing pile of medical bills overwhelming.
However, a good car accident law firm will not only make sure that all medical bills paid by the victim are reimbursed but that they also come up with a viable solution to pay for medical treatment in the meantime. Powell Law Firm has assisted many Missouri residents in that exact situation.
Who's Responsibility Is It to Pay Medical Bills?
Missouri laws entitle the victim of a car accident to sue the at-fault driver's insurance company for the costs of any medical treatments needed due to the accident. This means all the victim has to do is prove negligence, and their medical bills will be covered.
Often, the victim may even receive a quick settlement offer from the car insurance company so that the matter is settled as efficiently as possible. However, this is not always the case. At times, car accident claims can drag on for many months, leaving victims wondering who pays the medical bills.
Sometimes, the insurance coverage will only kick in once the medical treatment is complete, a process that may take many months in cases of severe injuries. While waiting for the medical payments coverage, or the completion of the car accident claim, victims must find other ways to pay for their medical expenses. Powell Law Firm can also answer questions such as, "Does the at fault driver pay for rental car in Missouri?"
Options for Covering Immediate Medical Expenses
Missouri residents have a few options available to help them pay medical bills while waiting for their medical payments coverage or for the personal injury case to be finalized. Any of the following are viable options:
At-fault Party's Insurance Company
The best way to ensure that the victim is not saddled with expenses brought about by the negligence of someone else is to make sure the at-fault party pays for everything.
At times, the insurance company may accept liability without going to court and paying all the bills. However, it is also possible that they may deny liability or offer a settlement that is too low. In such cases, the victim will have to hire a lawyer to help them fight for their rights.
Victim's Health Insurance Provider
The victim can approach their health insurance company and ask that they pay the medical bills while the case is being finalized. However, once the claim is settled and the at-fault party has paid up, the victim will have to reimburse their own health insurance carrier for all the expenses.
MedPay
MedPay is a great option to have when faced with mounting medical bills after a car accident, with no other means to pay them. It will allow the victim to pay their medical expenses regardless of who was at fault for the accident.
However, victims need to have purchased MedPay before the accident occurred. In other words, they cannot use MedPay simply because they find themselves in the emergency room with no other means to pay their bills.
If victims have MedPay, they must also remember that they have to exhaust all these funds before requesting health insurance coverage from their private health insurance company.
Liens
When in a tight corner, liens can be a good way to cover medical costs while the accident victims wait for their settlement to be paid. How liens work is that medical providers will agree to cover the unexpected medical expenses for the victim by placing a lien on the damages that will be recovered from the car accident claim.
Group Health and Medicare Plans
Many Medicare and group health plans will pay any medical bills the victim encounters in return for a certain fee.
While many victims may feel that they are losing money by using Medicare, they should remember that these companies can negotiate a better rate for the cost of medical expenses. This will save the victims from having to pay the cost of the original medical bill.
What About a Quick Settlement Offer?
One of the things that car crash victims need to be very careful about when dealing with insurance companies is falling for the trap of accepting a quick offer that may potentially be a lot less than the total cost of medication.
In most cases, the insurance company will take advantage of the fact that the victim is stranded and make a low offer that may seem like a lot of money at the time. However, after the total cost of medical expenses has been calculated, the victim will realize that accepting the quick settlement offer was a mistake.
Certain injuries may result in permanent injuries that the quick offer will come nowhere close to covering. This is why it is advisable for victims to always have a lawyer with them when negotiating any insurance settlement offers.
An Experienced Car Accident Attorney Can Assist
The complexities of dealing with a personal injury claim, negotiating with insurance companies, and recovering from injuries sustained can be overwhelming for car accident victims to deal with on their own. The last thing they need is to be wondering who pays for medical bills in a car accident in Missouri.
An insurance company may take advantage of this situation to get the victim to sign a quick offer that will not cover their medical expenses. However, reliable attorneys, such as those at the Powell Law Firm, will not let that happen. Victims can give them a call today and schedule a free consultation.
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