While getting medical help is crucial to a successful recovery after suffering car crash injuries, the costs can add up very quickly, leaving you in a financial bind. There are several potential ways to have your medical bills paid, either partially or in full:

• Use private or government-funded health insurance
• Use your own insurance policy if you have medical payments coverage or UM/UIM coverage
• File a third-party claim with the other driver’s insurance
• Get treatment on a lien

The options available to you will depend on not only your own coverage but also who was at fault for the accident.

Types of Medical Expenses You Can Claim and Recover

In a personal injury context, medical expenses are economic damages. They’re specific, trackable monetary costs you’ve incurred to treat injuries caused by another person’s actions. These are separate from non-economic damages like pain and suffering or punitive damages.

It’s important to note that only medical costs stemming from the accident and your subsequent injuries will be covered by a car accident injury claim. You can’t request compensation for treatments unrelated to your accident.  

Examples of accident injury expenses include:

• Pain medication prescriptions
• Hospital stays
• Surgeries
• Transportation to and from the hospital or doctor
• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Medical supplies
• Ambulance expenses
• Future medical expenses related to the accident

Health Insurance

If you have private or government-sponsored health insurance, such as Medicare, Medicaid or Tricare, you can utilize your medical coverage to pay for expenses while you’re still undergoing treatment. Taking advantage of your health insurance eliminates the need to pay out of pocket (other than your deductible) for your treatments.

At HURT911, we strive to minimize your out-of-pocket costs. That’s why we offer diagnostics, like X-rays, MRIs or CT scans, and begin treatment at no cost to you.

Even if you do end up using your personal health insurance, you can still recover damages from the at-fault driver’s insurance company. However, there’s a caveat—your health insurance company will likely have a lien against your eventual insurance claim settlement.

This means your health insurer may be entitled to recover the money they spent on your medical care. The other driver was at fault for your injuries and your medical costs—not your insurance company. The insurance company should rightfully be compensated for the expenses they incurred.  

Be sure to review your insurance plan to find out if the carrier has the right to recover some or all your car accident insurance claim.

Medical Payments Coverage (MedPay) or Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Insurance

Another way to get financial assistance with your medical bills is an auto insurance add-on called medical payments coverage (also known as MedPay). If you’ve been injured in a car collision, your own MedPay can cover a sizable portion of your medical bills.

MedPay is optional and can be combined with your health insurance for enhanced coverage. The same rules apply as with health insurance. If the other driver’s insurance company eventually honors your claim and compensates you, your MedPay insurance provider may want to be paid back for the money they spent on your injury treatments.

You may also be able to file an uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) claim with your own auto insurance company if:

• The other driver is uninsured
• Your medical bills exceed the other driver’s policy limits

UM/UIM coverage is not legally required in Georgia but having it can protect you from out-of-pocket costs if you get into an accident with an uninsured driver. According to the Insurance Information Institute, approximately 12.4 percent of Georgia drivers were uninsured as of 2019.   

Third-Party Insurance Claim

You can and should file a third-party claim with the other party’s insurance carrier, especially if the other driver is at fault for the injuries you sustained. You, with the help of a car accident lawyer, may be able to negotiate a fair settlement with the other driver’s insurance company by providing evidence showing the accident and your injuries were the fault of their policyholder.

If you receive a settlement, it’ll be limited by the other driver’s bodily injury liability insurance. The legally required minimum auto liability insurance typically covers up to $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident in medical expenses. Some drivers may have additional coverage.

If the other driver doesn’t have auto insurance at the time of the accident, you may not be able to recover any damages whatsoever. However, if you have MedPay or UI/UIM coverage, you may be able to get some of your medical expenses covered by your own insurance.

Auto Accident Claim Lien

Individuals without health insurance or MedPay coverage included in their auto insurance policy may be able to cover their out-of-pocket costs with a lien. Essentially, the hospital or your medical provider will attach a lien to your car accident claims. You won’t have to pay for medical care out of pocket, but whoever provided your care will receive some or all your car accident claim payment once it is settled.  

Do You Need Help with Your Medical Bills After a Car Crash in Atlanta?

At HURT911, we diagnose and treat Georgia residents who’ve suffered personal injuries. We also connect our patients with reliable personal injury lawyers to help them recover financial compensation for their injuries.

Our chiropractors and staff are experts at auto insurance claims. We can help prepare your injury claim or work with your legal team to improve your chance of receiving compensation.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 1-800-HURT-911.