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Car accidents can result in severe injuries. Serious injuries can leave victims with significant medical bills they may not know how to pay. Fortunately, Missouri accident victims can seek the compensation they need for their medical bills and other expenses. In some cases, they can file auto insurance claims and personal injury lawsuits. However, many victims still ask how to pay their medical bills after a car accident. This confusion is understandable, considering that there are various ways your compensation can ultimately go to paying your bills.
The first thing you need to know about paying medical bills after a St. Louis car accident is how to recover the compensation you need. As an at-fault auto insurance state, Missouri provides accident victims various ways to recover damages through insurance claims. Depending on the circumstances of the accident, you could file one of several types of insurance claims:
If your auto insurance doesn’t cover your medical bills, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver. After filing your lawsuit, you may recover compensation for your medical expenses through a negotiated settlement or a trial award. In either case, the compensation you receive will come from the defendant or their insurance company.
After settling with the insurance company or winning a trial award, there are a few ways you can pay your medical bills. The most common options are direct payment, medical liens, and reimbursement. The option that applies to your case depends on your financial situation and the medical providers who are seeking payment.
One common way to pay for medical bills after an accident is to simply pay the bills yourself. You can do so once you receive your settlement or trial award check. It’s possible to set this up before your claim is concluded. You can inform the medical providers about your claim or lawsuit. Then you can ask them to wait for payment until your case is resolved. This can relieve the stress of having your bills go to a collections agency that would harass you for payment.
One downside of the direct payment option is that you’ll have to keep track of your bills yourself. You’ll need to record them throughout your recovery period and pay them off when you receive your compensation. However, your personal injury lawyer may be willing to take this task off your hands.
When you work with an attorney, it’s common for the insurer to send your compensation directly to your attorney. Your attorney takes their fee from the lump sum and may pay off your medical bills before transferring the remaining money to you.
In some cases, medical providers choose to cut you out of the payment process by putting a medical lien on your insurance settlement or trial award. When a medical lien is in place, the medical provider receives compensation from your settlement or award before you see any of the money. After your lawyer pays the lien and takes their fees and expenses from your settlement or award, you get the rest.
This can be a good option in some cases because it means you don’t have to deal with paying the medical provider. The medical provider and the insurance company liable for your compensation handle the payment of your medical bills on their own.
However, this can also mean you cannot negotiate the cost of your medical treatment. The insurance company and medical provider will agree upon the cost of your treatment without your input, which could leave you with less compensation.
The worst of the three options is reimbursement. This is when you pay for your medical bills out of pocket or with your personal health insurance and then get reimbursed later when you receive your settlement or trial award check.
This option is not recommended because it can put significant strain on your financial situation. And if you don’t receive as much compensation from your settlement or award as you were expecting, it can leave you in the red.
If you are considering paying for your medical bills out of pocket, speak to a skilled car accident lawyer. They can negotiate with the medical provider to get them to postpone payment until your case is resolved or have them place a lien on your settlement or award.
If you suffered an injury in a motor vehicle accident in St. Louis, Missouri, contact Goldblatt + Singer at (314) 231-4100 for a free consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer. During your consultation, our lawyers will review your case, explain your options for seeking recovery, and go over the ways your medical bills could get paid after you receive the compensation you deserve.