
Your health insurance policy often will not cover injuries suffered in a car accident. This fact might surprise you if you have a good health insurance plan, especially when you consider how expensive a car accident can become when it comes to property damage and medical bills. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the cost of medical care and other financial losses resulting from car accident injuries exceeded $75 billion in 2017.
Car Insurance Versus Health Insurance
Dealing with car and health insurance companies can get confusing after a car accident. Car insurance is first and foremost responsible for any damages you suffered in a car crash, including any medical bills resulting from your injuries. Health insurance may provide coverage if the car insurance policy does not pay for all your medical bills. Still, you might have to satisfy your healthcare policy’s deductibles and co-payments.
Which insurance company is ultimately responsible for covering your medical bills also depends on who was at fault in the accident. If the other driver is at fault for the accident, you would typically file a claim against their automobile insurance policy for any damages you suffered. Unfortunately, there can be instances where neither car insurance nor health insurance will pay for your medical bills, or they might only pay out a portion of your damages.
State Minimum Car Insurance Requirements
The Balance lists the minimum requirements for car insurance liability coverage that most states have. This coverage should reimburse you for property damage and medical bills resulting from an accident. However, liability insurance has coverage limits, and those limits can be as low as $15,000 per injured person. This amount may not come close to compensating you fully for your injuries, particularly if you suffered severe and life-changing injuries in an accident.
Occasionally, the at-fault driver may not even have car insurance, which can severely restrict your ability to get compensation for your damages unless you have uninsured motorist coverage on your policy. Even if you have uninsured motorist coverage, it may not cover all your medical bills.
For a free legal consultation, call (800) 794-0444
Your Health Insurance May Cover Medical Bills
Your health insurance will most likely cover any car accident injuries once you have exhausted your car insurance accident coverage. Depending on your health insurance plan, you might still have to pay for any deductibles, which could run into thousands of dollars. You could also be responsible for any co-pay charges as per your insurance plan and any other procedures or costs that your health insurance plan does not cover.
If you suffered injuries in an accident that was not your fault and now have considerable bills to pay out of your pocket, you could contact a car accident lawyer for help. You might have legal recourse to recover compensation from the at-fault party.
Your Legal Options
Having suffered extensive injuries in an accident, it can further add to the pain and stress when you find out that you will not receive adequate compensation for your injuries and financial losses, whether through automobile or health insurance. However, you might have other possibilities for a full recovery.
Often, a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party is your best option. However, the burden of proof will rest on you. You may have a case if you can prove the following elements of a car accident claim:
- The at-fault driver acted negligently and breached their duty of care to other drivers.
- The negligence of the other driver caused the accident.
- You suffered injuries and financial damages because of the accident.
You will also need evidence to support your claim. A car accident lawyer can help with collecting evidence to support your case, including:
- Medical reports
- Police reports
- Eyewitness statements
- Photographs
- Traffic camera footage
- Expert witness testimony
Click to contact our lawyers today
Compensation You Could Recover
In a personal injury lawsuit, you could recover compensation for your injuries as well as your pain and suffering. Every case is unique, and any compensation will depend on the details of your case and the severity of your injuries. However, you could obtain the following types of compensation:
- Medical expenses, including future medical costs
- Lost wages and future lost income
- Repair bills for your vehicle
- Rehabilitation costs
- Costs of a home health aide
- Awards for physical pain and suffering
- Awards for emotional anguish
- Any out-of-pocket expenses related to the accident
If the other driver acted in an egregiously negligent or reckless manner, you could also potentially receive punitive awards.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
A Car Accident Lawyer Can Help
If you would like to find out whether your health insurance will cover your car accident injuries, the team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can help. We can fight to hold the at-fault party of your car accident to account if insurance does not adequately cover your damages. We can help you determine whether you have a case, free of charge.
Call us now at (800) 794-0444 and speak to one of our team members about your car accident claim.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form