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How Do I Pay Medical Bills After Sustaining an Injury?

One of the biggest concerns most people have when they have been personally injured is how their medical expenses will be paid. Certain injuries can quickly and easily accumulate thousands of dollars in medical bills for hospitalization, surgeries, prescriptions, physical therapy, and more. If the accident that led to your injuries was not your fault, you may feel that you should not be responsible for taking care of medical expenses.

Unfortunately, in most cases, while it is possible to be compensated for medical bills, payment will not wait until a settlement is reached. The circumstances vary for the individual case, of course, but it is frequently the injured person who must use their own insurance to pay for any ongoing treatment while a settlement is being negotiated.

Options of Vehicle Injury Medical Expenses

A majority of personal injury cases are the result of auto accidents. When injuries are sustained in vehicle collisions, the injured person’s medical expenses may be covered partially or completely by their own auto insurance until a settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurance company can be reached. Although Illinois drivers are only required to have liability insurance, drivers have the option of adding medical expense coverage, which could be used to take care of bills.

Health Insurance

When a person sustains an injury that is not vehicle-related or the auto insurance does not cover all expenses, the injured person’s medical bills should be paid by their health insurance provider. Typically by submitting medical bills to the health insurance provider, the injured person ensures that the bills will be paid promptly.

The insurance company that pays the medical bills before a settlement is reached may be legally entitled to part of the injured person’s settlement award. This is why it is important to document all injuries and be sure to account for all medical bills when determining the value of a claim.

Worst-Case Scenario for Expenses
When an injured person does not have adequate health insurance or medical expense coverage under their auto insurance policy, they may need to cover some of the costs out of pocket until a settlement is agreed on. If, however, it turns out the personal injury claim is not successful, the injured person would be stuck paying all the medical bills themselves.

Do I Have to Go to Court to Get a Settlement?

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