Every year, thousands of people are injured in car crashes on Texas roads and highways. Unfortunately, many victims are hesitant to seek help for their injuries because of their financial situation We understand that not everyone has access to affordable healthcare, however, if you’ve been involved in a car accident you should never refuse medical attention because of an to pay the medical bills. Seeing a doctor immediately after your car accident ensures you’ll get the right medical diagnosis and creates a paper trail of important documentation required to purse a personal injury claim. The more accurate and thorough your medical information is, the better chance you have at receiving just compensation.
A Lawsuit Takes Time. When Should I See My Doctor?
The sooner you see a doctor, the better. Remember, it can take time for even serious injuries to reveal themselves through symptoms.
It’s important to keep copies of all documents and receipts of all doctor’s office visits and treatments. This includes documents related to:
- Ambulance rides
- Emergency room visits
- X-rays, scans, and lab work
- Transportation costs to and from your doctor
- Days of work missed due to seeking medical treatment and from accident injuries
- Medical prescriptions
If you do not have the documents and receipts, tell your personal injury attorney where you were treated, so that they can secure copies of your bills.
How Do I Get Insurance to Cover My Bills?
Because car accidents are so common in Texas and because medical attention afterward can be so expensive, it’s not unusual for hospitals to delay payment until your personal injury claim is settled.
Although you’ll want the insurance provider of the person who caused the accident to pay your medical bills, you may have to use your own health insurance to pay for bills that require immediate payment. Afterward, your insurance provider will seek to recover the expenses from the person who caused the accident or their insurance provider.
All automobile insurance policies in Texas include Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. Until the at-fault person’s insurance provider steps up, it may be worth your while to take advantage of your PIP coverage, and then settle-up with the at-fault person’s provider afterward.
How Can a Lawsuit Help With My Medical Bills?
If you’ve been in a car accident, you need legal representation. Unfortunately, insurance providers often deny paying medical bills and doing what’s right. They are professional negotiators whose sole responsibility is to convince you to settle quickly and for as little money as possible.
To do this, they’ll be among the first to contact you directly after your accident and try to haggle with you while you’re in a vulnerable state. In most cases, they’ll make low-ball settlement offers that do not come close to covering your bills and lost wages.
Your best course of action is to not have any contact with them at all. Instead, let your personal injury attorney take their calls. In fact, a study from the Insurance Research Council found that victims with a personal injury lawyer were more likely to get the treatment they needed.
Our attorneys are in a much better position to negotiate with predatory insurance providers and will have the knowledge and resources to take them to court and force them to do the right thing. If you’ve been injured in an accident, your best course of action is to contact Williams Hart & Boundas right away. We offer 100% FREE initial case evaluations and operate on a contingency fee basis—meaning you don’t pay us anything unless we win your case.
