If you have been injured in a car accident, a mishap at work or a fall at a business, you’re likely worried about how you’ll pay the mounting pile of medical bills you have incurred for your necessary health care. After a car accident, for example, the first thing experts advise is for you to seek medical attention, because the adrenaline of being involved in a crash may mask even serious injuries. But then the bills start rolling in. If you were transported to the hospital by an ambulance, you’ll have a bill for that service, followed by bills from the emergency room, bills for X-rays taken to ensure you didn’t suffer broken bones and bills for a hospital stay if your injuries were serious. If you are among those in the United States without health insurance or you have not yet been able to return to work because of your injuries, panic is likely quickly setting in.
Should you accept an insurance company’s offer?
If someone else was negligent in the accident and responsible for your medical bills, your period of recovery is the time that their insurance company will most likely try to take advantage of your vulnerability – and concerns over your credit scores – by making you an offer to settle your case. It’s important not to accept that offer, however, because you have no way of knowing what’s to come in terms of your health care needs.
Hiring a personal injury lawyer at this point is vital because he or she will be better able to get you a settlement that will cover current and future medical bills as well as pain and suffering. On your own, you won’t be able to make that happen.
What happens to those bills?
If you are filing a personal injury lawsuit, your attorney will keep track of your medical bills throughout your recovery process so he or she can ask for damages that cover the entirety of your expenses.
Your insurance company may initially cover the bulk of your bills, and your attorney may help you seek financing for the remainder while you wait for your personal injury case to be settled, but you will have to pay back both after your personal injury case is successfully completed.
Don’t let bills pile up
While it may be tempting to put your medical bills on hold while you wait for your personal injury case to be settled, this is not the best course of action for your financial future. It may take years for your case to be settled, and in that time period, your unpaid bills can be forwarded to a collection agency, which will have a negative impact on your credit rating.
To protect yourself – and your credit score – your best course of action is to contact your health care providers and let them know how you incurred your medical bills and the steps that are being taken in order for them to be compensated.
In some cases, your medical billing departments may be willing to put your bills on hold or allow you to make small monthly payments until your case is settled.
The lawyers at Rispoli & Borneo can offer you excellent guidance, exceptional service and high caliber representation for your case.