Paying Medical Bills While Waiting for a Settlement

• September 8, 2021
• Personal Injury

When you have been seriously injured in a car accident, it could take months before a settlement amount is agreed upon and the negligent driver’s insurance pays it out. In the meantime, medical bills are piling up.

How do these expenses get paid while you are waiting on a Settlement?

First, you need to know if your state is a fault or a no-fault state. A “fault” state means the driver responsible for causing an accident must pay for damages; whereas, in a no-fault state, drivers are responsible for their own medical expenses regardless of who causes the collision. For instance, the state of Missouri is a fault state and the state of Kansas a no-fault state.

In a fault state like Missouri, does that mean you send your medical bills to the negligent driver? No, unfortunately, you are still the one responsible for paying these bills even while waiting for your settlement. That may mean you have to pay the bills out of pocket or find another way.

This is where it helps to have a personal injury attorney, someone who can help you understand what your options are, what needs to be done and when.

When you need a personal injury attorney, contact us at (877) 284-6600.

Paying Medical Expenses from a Car Accident

Insurance laws are different in each state, so where you live can have an impact. Even though Missouri and other states follow the at-fault rule, making sure your medical bills get paid is your responsibility.

The first place to check is your car insurance policy to see if you have medical payments or personal injury protection coverage. This insurance will provide benefits to the injured party no matter who caused the accident. Use it to reimburse yourself for medical bills you have paid or need to pay.

• Medical Payment Insurance (MedPay). If you live in a fault state, like Missouri, you may have opted for some amount of MedPay coverage when you purchased your car insurance. MedPay covers medical expenses caused by a car accident no matter who is at fault. This is optional insurance coverage in Missouri and coverage amounts typically do not exceed $10,000 but can go up to $100,000.
• Personal Injury Protection (PIP). If you live in a state like Kansas, you will have some insurance coverage for bodily injury through your PIP since it is legally required; however, most people carry just the minimum amount required. In Kansas that would be $4,500.

In general, the following options can be used in conjunction with MedPay/PIP to help pay those medical expenses while you wait for your settlement.

• Health insurance policy. If you have a health insurance policy, it should cover the rest of your medical expenses after your car insurance policies have paid their maximums. You will, however, need to reimburse your health insurance company for the amount covered should you be awarded a settlement from the at-fault driver.
• Medicaid/Medicare. If your health insurance is through Medicaid or Medicare, they will pay your medical expenses from a car accident. They, too, will expect repayment out of any settlement received.
• Installment Payment plan If the above plans are not an option for you or do not cover all your medical expenses, an installment payment plan or lien can generally be set up with the medical provider(s)

WHY HIRE NASH & FRANCISKATO?

When you have been seriously injured in a car accident, you need an experienced personal injury attorney who will collect all the facts about your accident, assess your injuries and answer questions about concerns such as paying medical bills.

Call us at (877) 284-6600 or contact our office online.  We have a successful track record of helping accident victims collect the compensation they deserve.

One of our experienced staff will speak with you personally and will provide you with a free, no-obligation review of your case.

SCHEDULE A FREE REVIEW OF YOUR CASE

RESOURCES FOR YOU

Would you like to receive news and blog updates on a regular basis? Sign up to receive our email newsletter. Your email address will only be used to send you our newsletter and respond to inquiries.

• Find related blog articles: Personal Injury and Automobile Accidents

SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER

Past results afford no guarantee of future results and each case is different and is judged on its own merits. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published September 8, 2021. It was reviewed on August 2, 2023 and updated for content and accuracy.