When you get hurt in a motor vehicle accident, it is always a good idea to get checked out by a doctor. Whether you go to the ER, urgent care, or your regular doctor’s office, you can get the right diagnosis and treatment. But who will pay for the cost of your medical care?
Typically, your own health insurance will pay for injuries associated with car accidents. If your accident was caused by another driver, then they will ultimately be responsible for these losses. If you recover money through a settlement or verdict at trial, then you will usually be required to repay your health insurance company for all or part of these costs. Our San Antonio car accident attorneys can help you get the money that you deserve for your injuries, including money for medical care.
At Texas Law Guns, Injury and Accident Lawyers, we fight for the rights of accident victims throughout Bexar County. We work hard to get you top dollar for your losses and never charge a fee unless we recover money for you. To learn more or to schedule a free initial consultation with a Texas personal injury lawyer, contact our law offices today.
When Will My Health Insurance Pay for Injuries from a Car Accident?
When you seek medical care, the cost of your treatment will be covered by your insurance company. This is true regardless of the reason why you are seeking care, such as for a car accident. For most people, their own health insurance will cover their medical expenses related to a car accident. This includes:
- Emergency room or urgent care visits
- Doctor visits
- Hospitalization
- Medication
- Physical therapy
- Surgeries
- Counseling
Of course, health insurance policies vary. Your health insurance coverage might require you to pay a deductible or co-pay for these visits. Your coverage may also be somewhat limited depending on the type of policy that you have. If you have out-of-pocket expenses, you should keep track of them.
Typically, you can seek medical care after a car accident and have it covered by your insurance. In other words, you shouldn’t let fear of incurring major medical bills often stop you from seeking care. In fact, it is particularly important to go to the doctor after a car accident.
There are two big reasons why you should get medical treatment after a collision. First, you want to make sure that you get checked out and then get the right diagnosis and treatment. Second, going to the doctor will help any claim that you might file because it establishes a link between your injuries and the accident.
In other words, if you are injured in a motor vehicle accident, your medical expenses should be covered by your health insurance. If another driver was at fault for the collision, you may be able to pursue compensation against them for your losses, including your medical bills. Our San Antonio car accident lawyers can help you get maximum compensation for your injuries.
Will the At-Fault Driver Be Required to Pay for My Injuries?
Texas is considered a fault state when it comes to motor vehicle accidents. This means that the person who caused a crash will be financially responsible for the losses that they caused. In most cases, these losses are covered by car insurance.
In Texas, drivers are required to prove that they can pay for any accidents that they cause. Most drivers do this by purchasing a car insurance policy. The mandatory minimum for car insurance in Texas is $30,000 of coverage for injuries per person, up to a total of $60,000, plus $25,000 in coverage for property damage.
When another person causes a crash, their insurance will pay for any harm that they cause. This may include:
- Property damage
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Medical expenses
- Future medical care
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Scarring
- Disfigurement
- Emotional distress
Of course, few insurance companies will simply hand over a check for the full value of a car accident claim. It is usually only when an accident victim retains an experienced San Antonio law firm that the insurance company is willing to offer a fair settlement.
This fact is important to keep in mind in the days and weeks after a motor vehicle accident. The at-fault driver’s insurance adjuster might approach you, tell you that they accept liability, ask you to give a statement, or even offer you a settlement. You should not talk to the adjuster, give a statement, or sign any paperwork until you’ve had a chance to consult with a lawyer.
When you sign a settlement agreement, you are giving up important rights, including the right to pursue additional compensation in the future. In other words, if the settlement check that the insurance company gives you isn’t enough to cover your losses, you’ll be out of luck. While you might be anxious to get paid, waiting until you know the extent of your injuries and until you’ve had a chance to talk to an attorney is a much better plan.
There may also be other options for recovering compensation. In Texas, insurance companies are required to offer you uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage. This type of insurance will pay for your losses if the at-fault driver either doesn’t have car insurance or doesn’t have enough car insurance to pay for your losses. Our law firm will explore filing a claim against your own insurance policy if the responsible driver’s insurance won’t pay for all of your losses.
Texas law also requires insurance companies to offer personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. PIP will pay for your initial medical bills, lost wages, and other costs. This can be another way to get your medical bills covered if you did not opt out of this coverage.
Ultimately, the driver who caused your accident should be responsible for your medical bills and other losses. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that their insurance company will agree to pay or that they will have enough insurance to pay for all of your losses. Texas Law Guns will fight to get you the compensation that you deserve for your injuries.
Do I Have to Repay My Health Insurance Company from My Settlement?
When you visit the doctor’s office, you might be asked to check a box to indicate if your visit is related to a motor vehicle accident or a work-related injury. That is because your health insurance company may seek reimbursement for medical expenses that may be the responsibility of another party (such as your employer or the at-fault driver in a motor vehicle accident). This is known as subrogation.
The amount that you may have to repay will depend on the specifics of your case. Your settlement should cover all of your losses, including both past medical expenses and future medical treatment. After you have reached a settlement or won a verdict at trial, your San Antonio personal injury lawyer will negotiate with your health insurance company about the amount that you need to repay to cover the medical costs that they paid.
This is another reason why it is so important to hire an experienced car accident attorney to represent you. If you accept a low-ball settlement offer from the at-fault driver’s insurance company, it might not be enough to cover the amount that you owe to your health insurance company (let alone any future medical expenses). This may leave you in a difficult financial position.
Your lawyer may also be able to work with your health insurance company to negotiate a repayment that is far less than you may otherwise owe. For example, if you recovered $50,000 for medical expenses in a settlement and your health insurance company paid $30,000 in medical costs, they might be able to negotiate the repayment amount down to something more reasonable, like $15,000 or $20,000.
The goal of a personal injury settlement is to make you as close to whole again as possible. Our San Antonio car accident attorneys will fight to make sure that you get a fair settlement for your injuries that will cover your medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other losses. If the at-fault driver’s insurance company won’t offer you fair compensation, we will take the case to trial to get you the money that you deserve.
Help for Texas Car Accident Victims
Car accidents can be devastating in many ways. In addition to leaving emotional and physical scars, a car accident can also lead to financial instability. While your health insurance company should cover your medical bills, you need the help of a seasoned personal injury lawyer to get the money that you deserve.
Texas Law Guns, Injury and Accident Lawyers works hard to help our clients get top dollar for their losses. We represent injury victims who have been hurt in all types of accidents, including car accidents, bike accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and slip-and-fall accidents. We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you’ll never pay a fee unless we recover money for you. To learn more or to schedule a free initial consultation with a San Antonio car accident attorney, give us a call at 866-922-2353 or fill out our online contact form.
Alexander Begum has tried over 50 trials to verdict and tried or settled over $500 million in cases. Alex is a founding shareholder of the Texas Law Gun, Injury and Accident Lawyers.