Ambulance bills can run into hundreds or thousands of dollars and often those bills are not covered by your insurance in the case of an accident. But you can file a personal injury claim to get money that will cover the cost of the ambulance that you needed after an accident. The cost of the ambulance is considered a valid medical expense since it’s directly related to the accident and you wouldn’t have needed an ambulance if it weren’t for the accident.
Even if you are found to be partially responsible for the accident you can file a personal injury claim to get money to cover your medical bills and ambulance costs. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you file a claim to get the money to cover all of your accident related expenses including ambulance fees.
We asked attorney, Alaina Sullivan, about this type of scenario. Here's her explanation of the situation:
Types of Medical Expenses Associated with an Auto Accident Claim
Undergoing medical treatment for the injuries caused by an auto accident can cost tens of thousands of dollars. In addition to paying for the cost of an ambulance, you have to pay for past and current medical bills that seem to never stop flooding both your snail and digital mailboxes.
Then, we have the unknown called future medical expenses that although difficult to calculate, are a necessary calculation if you expect to get an accurate dollar amount for you to budget for paying your medical bills.
Calculating Future Medical Expenses
The amount of money you can expect to pay for future medical bills depends mostly on the input of the healthcare professional that are responsible for your well-being.
Your primary doctor determines the types of treatment you will need in the future, as well as the amount of medications you will take to combat health issue such as pain and fatigue. You might have to visit a physical therapist to rejuvenate certain parts of the body that were negatively impacted by a vehicle accident.
The amount of money paid out for future medical expenses is mostly factored by time. The longer you spend in rehab and treatment, the more money you can expect to pay for future medical bills. Working with a licensed personal injury attorney will help you come up with an accurate estimate of your future medical expenses.
Ambulance Rides as Medical Expenses
Ambulance rides are not free by any means, but when you need one, you cannot weigh the benefits of getting to the hospital quickly versus the cost of taking an ambulance.
However, if the ambulance ride is seen as medically necessary, it can be claimed as a medical expense resulting from the accident.
Therefore, you should be able to seek reimbursement or compensation for your medical claim, including the ambulance ride.
Medically Necessary Expenses
The key to any medical claim is to prove that the expense was medically necessary and came as a result of the accident. If you have been involved in an accident where you were t-boned by another car and needed to be rushed to the hospital due to internal injuries resulting from the impact, that ride is seen as medically necessary.
Your life depended on it, and insurance companies would be hard pressed to show that you could or should have drive yourself personally to the hospital for treatment.
However, when the area is grayer comes when the insurance company will try to show that the ambulance ride was not required but optional.
You can certainly dispute their claims, but unless they can show that you took the ambulance ride when it was not needed at all, you will likely be successful in obtaining compensation for your treatment.
Non-Medical Elements of an Auto Accident Claim
For auto accident injuries, there are medical and non-medical elements involved in filing an insurance claim. One of the most misunderstood non-medical elements is called pain and suffering.Most personal injury clients believe pain and suffering covers just physical distress symptoms, such as broken bones and bruised muscles.
However, pain and suffering for auto accident cases also covers emotional issues that develop because of the exposure to traumatic conditions. Emotional duress can include symptoms associated with fear, stress, anxiety, and depression.
You can look at the legal term pain and suffering to mean pain for physical distress symptoms and suffering for the emotional toll an accident takes on you.There are two ways to calculate the amount of money to request for the pain and suffering caused by a vehicle accident.
Multiplier-A multiplier, which can range from 1 to 5, is multiplied by the amount of special damages awarded in an auto accident case. Special damages represent the monetary award covering things like property damage, changes in lifestyle, and the loss of irreplaceable possessions.
Per Diem-Calculated by assigning a dollar amount for one day and then multiplying the dollar amount by the number of days auto accident injuries affected your lifestyle. Used much less frequently than a multiplier, per diem often involves using the amount of a victim’s daily wages.
Health Insurance Coverage
Some insurance companies will require you to first submit your claim to your health insurance. Once your insurance reduces the amount of the total treatment, then you submit the adjusted bill for reimbursement from your auto insurance company.
You may also choose to file with your insurance provider first and seeking reimbursement later if you worry about the ambulance provider coming after you personally for payment.
However, a simple call to a personal injury attorney who can reach out to the company for you can put their claim on hold to avoid this problem.
No-fault Insurance Coverage
In the states with no-fault insurance laws, drivers are expected to file claims with their own insurance providers regardless of which driver was at fault.
These claims are known as personal injury protection (PIP) claims. You can file claims for:
- Personal property damages
- Medical claims
- Lost wages
Ambulance bills are normally included in medical claims and would be compensated under your no-fault policy.
Additional Financial Considerations
An auto accident can severely limit how you apply your professional skills. You might work less, which leads to a loss of wages. While the medical bills pile up, your ability to remain financially ahead of the curve diminishes.
You can also lose wages by having to work in a lower paying job that requires fewer physically challenging tasks. Some auto accident cause injuries that require a dramatic modification of a home to accommodate for a lack of mobility and other healthcare issues. One example of a home modification is to install a ramp that leads into your home.
Contact an Attorney Today
The legal issues that develop because of an auto accident receive most of the attention. Nonetheless, one of the most important aspects of a vehicle accident claim is to account for all costs associated with accident accurately.
An experienced personal injury lawyer will conduct a comprehensive review of your case to determine how much money you deserve to take care of costly medical expenses that include the amount of money paid for an ambulance.
It's difficult to evaluate your case, so you may need to seek out legal help with your claim. A personal injury attorney can help you negotiate with insurance companies, request accident reports, and contact witnesses and gather their testimony.
With an attorney on your side, you can rest assured that you have proper representation when seeking compensation for your medical bills, auto damage, and any pain and suffering.
