Although a chain reaction in physics and chemistry can be a good thing, the same cannot be said for a multi-vehicle accident. Unless you are driving the first or the last vehicle in a multi-car crash, your car probably got hit at least two times.
Multiple car accidents increase the odds of not walking away from an accident unscathed. Initially, you might be on the financial hook for paying personal injury medical expenses. However, filing an insurance claim can help you recover the costs of diagnosing, treating, and rehabilitating the injuries caused by a multi-vehicle accident.
Recovering the Costs of Car Accident Medical Bills
The problem with a car accident is that healthcare providers do not wait for you and your insurance company to reach a settlement. Doctors, surgeons, and physical therapists want their money right after delivering healthcare services.
The time gap between when you pay a healthcare provider and when you receive a check from your insurance company be weeks, if not months. This can place a tremendous financial burden on you, especially if you were involved in a multiple car pile-up
Getting hit from the rear, front, and one or both sides can produce a wide variety of serious injuries. Front impacts can cause head trauma, as well as fractured ribs.
Side impacts can lead to severe fractures of one or both arms and/or legs, particularly if a car hits you on the driver’s side of your vehicle. Rear impacts often trigger whiplash symptoms that take a considerable amount of time to disappear.
What is the Meaning of No Fault Insurance?
Before you take care of the medical expenses after a car accident, find out if you live in a no fault insurance state. No fault auto insurance means your auto insurance company takes care of most if not all of your medical bills, regardless of which driver caused the auto accident.
If you missed work to recover from injuries, a no fault policy covers lost wages as well. No fault insurance policies typically pay claims faster than insurance policies that do not have a no fault clause. States that require policyholders to buy no fault auto insurance include Kansas, Delaware, and New York.
States That Do Not Have the No Fault Requirement
The majority of states do not require policyholders to purchase no fault auto insurance. If you live in one of those states, you might have to pay off all your medical bills.
However, you can add a provision in your auto insurance policy called Medical Payment (Med Pay), which limits the amount of money your insurance company contributes towards your medical expenses.
Once your medical bills exceed the Med Pay maximum, all medical bills become your sole responsibility. Med Pay is a sound financial option for car insurance policyholders that have high annual deductibles.
Ask for a Free Case Evaluation
Car insurance policies can be complex legal documents that confuse most policyholders. If you suffered injuries caused by a multi-vehicle accident, contact a personal injury attorney to schedule a free case evaluation.
Your lawyer reviews all the evidence you have collected and then decides whether you have enough evidence to file a personal injury claim. The official police report represents the best place to start for gathering and organizing evidence. If your lawyer decides to file a personal injury claim, compensation comes in the form of a percentage of the monetary damages awarded to you.
