If you’ve been injured in a car accident, among your many concerns may be how you will pay for the medical treatment you need to recover.
If you live in Pennsylvania, you will file a claim with your own insurance carrier, regardless of who caused the accident. PA is a “no-fault” state, which means that if the accident is your fault, or the other driver’s fault, or someone else’s fault, or a combination, each injured person will file the claim for medical expenses with their own insurance company. [1]
You will file with your own insurance company if you are driving, a passenger, a passenger in someone else’s car, or a pedestrian. If you do not have car insurance yourself, but you are living with a family member who has car insurance, you would file the claim with their company.
Your own (or family member’s) insurance will pay an amount set forth in your policy (generally $5,000 in Pennsylvania) for medical bills associated with your medical treatment.
It is important to consult an experienced attorney, like those at Aversa & Linn, to identify who is responsible for paying every medical bill in your case.
What if my car insurance doesn’t cover all the costs?
If you have the minimum coverage of $5000 for medical expenses, it may not cover all of the medical bills for treatment you received as a result of the accident. Anything more than a minor injury will likely require more than $5000 for treatment.
If the medical benefits from your car insurance are exhausted, your health insurance will pay for your treatment [2]. With your health insurance, you will likely have co-pays and deductibles to pay. You may be able to make a claim against the at-fault driver for payment of the co-pays and deductibles.
What if I don’t have health insurance?
If you’re injured in a car accident, and don’t have health insurance, you may be able to recover costs for treatment from the at-fault driver. But it is important to know that it can take months or years for these matters to be settled, and you will need to arrange for payments in the meantime.
This post only discusses medical costs. Click here to learn more about how to recover for pain and suffering and other non-economic damages.
Aversa & Linn’s experienced attorneys can identify who is responsible for paying every medical bill in your case. Contact us today so we can assist you in making sure that the bills for the treatment you need are paid.
1. PIP: PIP stands for personal injury protection. PIP will cover medical expenses as long as the treatment is related to injuries suffered in the car accident. PIP may also cover income loss depending on the coverage.
2. Your health insurance company may have a right to be repaid for medical bills they pay due to your car accident if you get a settlement from the at-fault insurance company.
