What to Do If You Were Hospitalized After a Car Crash

Missouri car accidents cause untold financial and physical damage. Statistics from the Department of Public Safety and the Missouri State Highway Patrol show that 52,109 people suffered injuries in collisions on state roadways in one recent year. After a car accident, you should seek medical attention. Unfortunately, most people who get hurt in car accidents don’t know what to do if they wind up hospitalized after a crash.

Understanding your next steps after being hospitalized in a car accident can be crucial. Recovering from your car accident injuries should be your priority. However, the aftermath of an accident can be confusing and leave you struggling to deal with what comes next.

What Should You Do if You Are Hospitalized Following a Car Accident?

Car accidents are often violent and traumatic events. Many car accident victims involved in significant collisions must be transported to the hospital for evaluation and medical treatment. This leaves them unable to collect information from the scene of the crash. First and foremost, your health and safety should be your top concern. If you are able, contact the authorities and emergency services for help. You may be able to rely on family or friends at the scene to document the crash, take photographs, and collect the information you need to move forward with an accident claim.

Contacting law enforcement after an accident also serves another purpose. Although they are there to control the scene and render aid, the subsequent police report they produce can help you get the information you need about the other driver and the potential cause of the accident. The Missouri State Highway Patrol has instructions on requesting a copy of your crash report. You can complete the process online. This makes it easy for you or a family member to accomplish it if you are still in the hospital but have access to the internet.

Steps to Take if You Are Hospitalized After an Accident

There are other things you can do if you are hospitalized after an accident. To protect your rights and prepare yourself for recovering compensation for your injuries and financial losses, consider the following:

• Follow Your Treatment Plan – Follow your doctor’s treatment plan in the letter. Your health and well-being are at stake, and you shouldn’t take them lightly. Failing to follow your doctor’s orders or treatment plan can make pursuing compensation for your injuries challenging and jeopardize your claim.
• Document Your Injuries – While in the hospital, try to document your injuries through pictures. Photograph any bruising, scarring, swelling, stitches, and disfigurement caused by the accident.
• Communicate with Medical Professionals – Do not make assumptions about the accident or offer opinion statements, but communicate with your medical team that you suffered injuries in a car accident. Do not downplay your injuries or tell staff you feel “fine.” Talk about where you feel pain and share your concerns so you can get the treatment you need.
• Keep a Paper Trail – If you wind up in the hospital after an accident, keep a complete paper trail of your medical records and treatments. Ask hospital billing staff for itemized bills of your medical expenses. You should also keep track of all your accident-related out-of-pocket expenses, prescription costs, and time missed from work due to your hospitalization.
• Avoid Providing Statements to Insurers – Nowhere are you more vulnerable than in a hospital following a car accident. Now is no time to provide official statements or other information to car insurance companies and adjusters. Providing inaccurate information, misremembering details, or omitting information can hurt your compensation claim.
• Contact an Attorney – Your first phone call will presumably be to family and friends to let them know where you are. Your second phone call should be to an experienced and skilled St. Louis car accident lawyer. While you focus on recovery, our attorneys can evaluate your case, collect vital evidence, and manage communication between you and the insurance company. Contacting an attorney as soon as possible, even from your hospital bed, is the best way to protect your rights and pursue maximum compensation for your injuries.

If I Go to the Hospital After a Car Accident, Who Pays the Bills?

The cost of an emergency room visit after a car accident can be significant. Depending on the nature and severity of your injuries, an emergency room visit can cost you thousands of dollars. If you need to stay in the hospital for any length of time, expect an even more significant bill. This will cover your hospital stay as well as doctor’s visits, medication, and specialist consultations.

Medical expenses are one of the costliest aspects of an accident claim. Who pays your medical bills can depend on several factors. First, Missouri is a traditional at-fault car insurance state. If a careless driver causes a crash, you can seek compensation for your medical expenses and injuries. You’ll do this by filing a car accident claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company.

Keep in mind that depending on the at-fault driver’s policy limits, your expenses may eclipse the limits of their policy. Another way you may recover compensation for your injuries is by filing a personal injury lawsuit.

If you need help paying your bills immediately, your health insurance provider may cover your medical expenses. However, if you receive a settlement from an insurer or a personal injury lawsuit, your insurance company can seek reimbursement for the cost of your treatment.

You can also review your insurance policy. Individuals with medical payment coverage can file a claim with their insurance provider seeking help paying their accident-related medical expenses.

Contact an Experienced Missouri Car Accident Attorney for Help Today

You may feel helpless lying in a hospital bed following a car accident. Ease your stress and worry about your situation by reaching out to an experienced car accident lawyer today. At Goldblatt + Singer, we work closely with accident victims, advocating for them and pursuing maximum compensation. Contact our office today at (314) 231-4100 or through our online form and set up a free consultation to learn more about how we can help you fight for the money you need to cover your medical expenses and hospital bills.

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