Who is Responsible for Medical Expenses After a Car Accident?

If you're injured in an accident that is not your fault, you might how your medical bills will be paid. Winning a personal injury settlement would be fantastic, but that potential outcome is not going to pay your health fees right now.

The easy explanation is that it depends on the kind of injury you had, where you live, and the type of insurance you have. One thing to remember is that if you get into an accident, you are usually responsible for covering your hospital expenses as you incur them.

In the US it depends on which state you live in. If the person who injured you is evidently at fault, he or she is not obligated by statute to cover the hospital expenses on a continuing basis. The only thing required by statute is that if the other party is proven to be at fault in court, he or she must pay your costs—and in a personal injury case, your hospital care is a significant part of the damages.

No Fault State

If you are involved in an auto accident, the timely payment of your medical costs also depends on whether the crash has occurred in a "no fault" state. No fault car insurance indicates that once you get into a car crash, your own car insurer will pay any or more of your hospital costs, regardless of who was at fault for the accident, up to the extent of your no-fault coverage.

Other States

When you get into a car crash in a state that does not have a no fault insurance policy, you will usually be liable for covering the hospital costs when they arise. Some drivers in these states, have insurance provisions for emergency payments (known as "med pay" coverage). You will be obligated to pay your insurance company after the bills reach the "med pay" policy cap.

Request a free case consultation now from a personal injury lawyer to decide ways to reduce the expensive medical bills you may have incurred. The best way to obtain money for a car crash is to file a personal injury lawsuit.

Additional Resources:

If you have found yourself in a situation where you are facing medical bills for an accident that is no fault of your own, you should enlist the help of a personal injury lawyer to get the compensation you may deserve: