Who Pays for Your Medical Bills After a Car Accident?

Anyone that has been involved in a serious accident will tell you that medical bills quickly become a concern. Depending on the severity of the crash, a victim may start receiving ambulance bills, ER bills, anesthesiologist bills, hospital bills, physical therapy, among many others. It can quickly become confusing to know what to do next.

For this reason, one of the most common questions we receive from accident victims is, “Who is responsible for paying my bills?”

Indiana law requires that bills arising from a car accident be paid by the at-fault driver’s insurance company, but a number of scenarios can arise that complicate reimbursement for car accident victims.

Ultimately, Boulton Law Group would never recommend accident victims try to navigate the process of having all their bills paid without the assistance of an experienced Indianapolis personal injury lawyer.

Below, we take a look at the potential sources of payment for your car accident medical bills.

At-Fault Driver’s Insurance Policy

Every state has unique insurance requirements for its drivers. And while there are differences in the amount each state requires, the purpose is always the same: cover the injuries and property damage that arises from a car accident.

Our state law requires Indiana drivers to carry, at a minimum:

• $25,000 for bodily injury liability per injured person
• $50,000 for total bodily injury liability per accident
• $50,000 for property damage

Medical Payments Insurance Coverage

When selecting an auto insurance policy, one of the coverage options available to you is medical payments coverage, often referred to as “med pay.”

The reason med pay is such a valuable coverage option for accident victims, is that it not only allows you to immediately pay medical bills, it can also be used for a number of out-of-pocket expenses related to your accident, such as co-pays, deductibles, etc. This is especially important because the at-fault driver’s insurance will not pay any medical bills until your personal injury case is resolved.

The other big advantage of med pay is that can be used to pay your accident-related bills no matter which driver is at fault.

Typically, we find that our clients carry med pay limits of anywhere from $1,000 – $10,000, however, we have also seen less and more.

Attorney Boulton encourages everyone to check their insurance policy for the current med pay limits. Ideally, the larger your med pay coverage, the better position you will be in should a serious car accident occur.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

All Indiana driver’s that carry auto insurance will also have uninsured/underinsured coverage, also known as UM/UIM. The purpose of this coverage is to ensure that you are protected in the event that an at-fault driver is either uninsured or does not carry enough coverage to account for all resulting medical bills and treatment.

Indiana’s minimum coverage amounts are:

• Uninsured motorist: $25,000 for bodily injury liability per injured person
• Uninsured motorist: $50,000 for total bodily injury liability per accident
• Uninsured motorist: $25,000 for property damage
• Underinsured motorist: $50,000 for total bodily injury per accident

A large number of insured drivers in Indiana carry the minimum policy amounts required by law. For this reason, it is not uncommon to see accidents involving traumatic injuries quickly max out the at-fault driver’s insurance limits.

When this happens, your insurance policy will be put into effect. For example, if your accident left you with medical bills that total $75,000 and the at-fault driver has coverage limits of $50,000, your policy would cover the additional $25,000, assuming you have the appropriate coverage.

Unfortunately, a large number of Boulton Law Group’s clients and callers have been involved in accidents that revealed the at-fault driver to be uninsured. For this reason, it is imperative that you have the appropriate insurance coverages on your vehicle and person.

Health Insurance Policy

In the event that all of the above listed options have reached or exceeded their limits, it is possible that your bills can be covered by your personal health insurance policy.

It is important to know that your health insurance company will want to be reimbursed once you receive your case settlement from the auto insurance carrier(s). 

Contact an experienced personal injury attorney

We have witnessed several instances in which Indiana drivers carry minimum coverage, or no insurance at all. If you are involved in an accident with one of these drivers, attempting to have your medical bills paid can quickly become confusing.

To ensure you are properly reimbursed following an Indiana car or truck accident, it is important to consult with an Indianapolis injury lawyer that has several years’ experience handling complex insurance claims.

Attorney Boulton has more than 20 years’ experience handling various accident claims that have a variety of insurance scenarios. His success in handling these claims has proven to be valuable for seriously injured victims who need to have their medical bills paid as well as pursue deserved compensation for their pain and suffering.

To speak to attorney Boulton about your medical bills, call him direct for a FREE consultation at 317-350-2680. You can also write to us with the details of your accident and any questions about your medical bills by using our confidential contact form.