When a person is injured in a motor vehicle accident, the medical bills quickly pile up and the challenge of paying for them can be financially devastating. That's why it is important to understand when you need to pay, and under which circumstances the other driver is responsible for taking care of the repair and healthcare-related bills.
When you are at-fault:
Whether you are the victim or the other motorist is injured, when you are at-fault you are financially obligated to pay for the victim's medical and auto repair bills. Your auto insurance company will carry out an investigation in order to determine the level at which you were at fault as well as settlement claims.
You have the opportunity before an accident to decide what type of coverage to get and how much liability coverage to opt for. The greater the liability coverage you have, the higher your insurance payments may be. However, more liability coverage can keep you from having to dip into your own pockets when you are at fault in an accident.
When you are the victim and not at-fault:
After an auto accident, there are immediate steps and precautions that you should take to ensure the safety of everyone involved and to verify fault. The police should be called, as well as an emergency number if anyone has incurred any serious injuries. Drivers should be conscious of the wording that they use, and be sure not to use any incriminating phrases like “I'm so sorry!” as they can later be used against that person, even if it turns out they were found not to have been fully responsible for the accident.
Next, you must contact your own insurers to report the accident – both auto and health insurance providers. You also will need to contact the other driver's insurance company as soon as possible in order to begin the claims process. An investigation will need to be completed before you can begin collecting payment from the other driver or their insurance company, therefore your bills will not be paid for as they arise. You will be responsible for maintaining a complete record of all accident-related expenses.
Once all expenses are gathered and the investigation is finished, you will need to submit the bills to your auto and health providers as well as the insurance provider of the at-fault driver. When a settlement is decided upon, you should keep in mind that insurance providers, healthcare insurers and attorneys may be entitled to some of the money you get.
When you are the victim and the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured:
Even when a driver doesn't have adequate insurance, they are responsible for paying all accident-related medical bills. Unfortunately, acquiring payments for your injuries from an uninsured or underinsured driver is generally timely and arduous. To avoid this type of problem before it occurs, it is recommended that drivers obtain uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. This type of policy will ensure that your provider will help pay for your damages when you are hit by an uninsured or underinsured motorist.
