The medical bills after a car accident can pile up quickly. You could owe thousands of dollars in medical bills for a minor car accident. However, severe injuries could result in hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical expenses.
How do you pay for medical bills after a car crash? One resource is to use your health insurance to pay the medical bills. Nonetheless, your health insurance carrier is only responsible for payments under your insurance contract, and you might have to pay co-pays.
Before turning in medical bills for a car accident to your health insurance company, you might have other options to pay the bills.
Medical Bills and Florida's No-Fault Insurance Laws
Florida requires drivers to have PIP insurance coverage in the amount of $10,000. Personal Insurance Protection is no-fault insurance coverage. If you do not have PIP coverage, you might be covered under a policy of a family member or the driver.
PIP insurance pays medical bills and lost wages after a car accident up to the policy limits. Generally, the maximum amount you could receive for your claim is $10,000 if you have minimum PIP coverage.
Additionally, there are some limitations and requirements that impact how much the PIP insurance company pays for medical bills, including:
- You must seek medical treatment within 14 days after the car accident.
- PIP only pays up to 80% of the medical bills for a car crash claim.
- Unless you sustain an emergency medical condition, the limit for medical expenses is $2,500.
Even if you receive the full limits of your PIP insurance coverage, $10,000 is not a lot of money for car accident medical bills. Therefore, you might need to seek other sources to pay medical bills after a car crash.
Medical Payments (Med-Pay) Coverage
Med-pay coverage is optional insurance coverage for car accidents. It pays unpaid medical bills regardless of who is at fault for causing the crash. Therefore, check your insurance coverage to determine if you added med-pay coverage when you purchased your automobile insurance policy.
Health Insurance Coverage
If you exhaust PIP and Med-Pay coverage, you can use your health insurance coverage for medical bills from a car accident. However, your health insurance provider must only pay medical bills covered by your health insurance policy. All terms and conditions apply, including co-pays.
Filing a Claim Against the At-Fault Driver
By default, Florida's no-fault insurance prevents you from suing the other driver for damages. However, if you sustain a "serious injury," you could have a claim against the at-fault driver. "Serious injury" is defined by statute and includes permanent impairments, significant scarring or disfigurement, and permanent loss of an important bodily function.
A personal injury claim for negligence could result in payment of your medical bills. However, you could also receive compensation for your other economic damages, like lost wages and out-of-pocket expenses. In addition, you might receive payment for non-economic damages, which are not paid by no-fault insurance plans.
Health Insurance Subrogation Claims
Most health insurance policies contain a subrogation clause. Subrogation allows the insurance company to file a subrogation claim against personal injury settlements and jury verdicts when the company pays medical bills after a car accident.
When your Clearwater personal injury lawyer settles your car accident claim against the other driver, the attorney must pay subrogation claims and medical liens before you can receive any money for your damages. However, experienced personal injury attorneys attempt to negotiate subrogation claims to reduce the amount that must be paid to the health insurance company. Your attorney works diligently to put as much money in your pocket as possible for your personal injury claim.
What Should I Do After a Clearwater Car Accident?
You cannot be sure what damages and expenses you will incur until a medical professional examines you for injuries. Therefore, it is always best to protect your rights after a car accident by:
- Reporting the car crash to the police immediately by calling 911.
- Seek immediate medical treatment for your injuries.
- Never admit fault for causing or contributing to the cause of the car accident.
- If possible, document the accident scene by making a video and taking pictures.
Because insurance companies work to protect their interests by avoiding liability for claims, it is also wise to contact a Clearwater car accident lawyer as soon as possible. An attorney advises you about your legal rights and helps you pursue claims for damages. An attorney also identifies all sources of compensation for your car accident claim to maximize your recovery for damages.
Contact the Clearwater Car Accident Law Firm of Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
For more information, please contact the legal team of Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation with a car accident lawyer in Clearwater. We have convenient locations in Florida: St. Petersburg, Safety Harbor, Clearwater, New Port Richey, and Tampa.
We serve throughout Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, Pasco County, and its surrounding areas:
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Clearwater Office
1811 N. Belcher Road, Suite I-1
Clearwater, FL 33765
(727) 787-2500
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Congress Ave Office
2360 Congress Avenue
Clearwater, FL 33763
(727) 591-5610
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Tampa Office
6601 Memorial Hwy Suite 202
Tampa, FL 33615
(813) 686-7588
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - New Port Richey Office
2515 Seven Springs Blvd.
New Port Richey, FL, 34655
(727) 815-8442
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - St. Petersburg Law Office
840 Beach Dr NE Suite 202
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 787-2500
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers - Safety Harbor Law Office
202 9th Ave S Suite A-2
Safety Harbor, FL 34695
(727) 787-2500
