How Do You Get Medical Bills Paid After An Accident?

How Do You Get Medical Bills Paid After An Accident?
For anyone that has been involved in a personal injury accident, one of the first concerns is how one gets medical bills paid. No matter what type of accident someone may have experienced, if there were injuries sustained, then that means medical treatment was made necessary. Medical treatment can oftentimes be very, very expensive. Diagnostic testing such as x-rays, CAT scans, and MRIs can quickly add up to thousands and thousands of dollars. So, how do you get these medical bills paid after an accident?
If the accident was a motor vehicle collision, then medical bills can be paid through PIP or Personal Injury Protection. This is a form of no-fault auto insurance in Massachusetts, as well as in many other states throughout the nation. PIP is paid regardless of fault. For example, if you negligently injure someone in a car accident, and you yourself sustain injuries, then you can collect PIP benefits from your car insurance company. In Massachusetts, PIP benefits are maxed out at $8,000. However, there is also something called Medical Payments Coverage or MedPay. Medical Payments acts as a supplement to PIP and can pay for bills that are not paid through PIP.
Please note, if you have a car accident attorney helping you with your case, he or she cannot collect any type of fee from any PIP benefits that are ultimately collected. The reason for that is that these are no-fault benefits that are paid automatically, which prohibit attorneys from collecting any type of fees from these benefits. For other cases such as slip and fall cases, there is no PIP available. For example, if you slip and fall at a grocery store, there will be no PIP to collect. However, the insurance company that insures the business where you fell may have something called MedPay.
Just like with auto insurance, MedPay acts as a type of insurance benefit that you can collect and use toward your medical bills. Generally, MedPay policies are $1,000, $5,000, or $10,000. But please note, there are generally strict time limits in which you may collect medical payments insurance coverage following a slip and fall accident. For any other cases, there is generally only one way to get your medical bills paid, and that is through your health insurance company. This is when it becomes crucial to have comprehensive health insurance coverage. If you do not have health insurance and there is no PIP or MedPay available, then all your medical bills will be your responsibility.
If you have a personal injury attorney helping you with your accident case, he or she will make, as part of your claim, payment for any medical bills that are outstanding. A settlement will include payment for these medical bills. If you are anyone you know needs the assistance of a local personal injury lawyer, please contact today the Earley Law Group Injury Lawyers at 617-444-7777.