Is Professional Medical and Legal Guidance After a Car Accident Affordable?

Following a car accident, the costs of medical treatments and legal assistance can be intimidating. 

If you are unfamiliar with these costs or if this is your first time being involved in a car accident, you probably would like a little guidance on this process.

You're also probably wondering What Happens to you During a Car Accident?

In this blog, we discuss various costs of a car accident.

Table of contents:

• The costs of medical and legal help after a car accident
• Factors that play into your automobile accident case
• Insurance coverage and medical treatment
• Types of insurance coverage
  • Personal injury protection (PIP)
  • Medical payments coverage
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
• Damages in car accident injury cases
  • Specific damages
  • General damages
• Seeking legal representation after a personal injury auto accident
• Get attorney and medical help at Arrowhead Clinic

Determining who is at fault, who is responsible for damages, and how will medical bills are covered after a car accident are common questions for all accident injury victims.

Often, many injured victims avoid medical treatment and legal counsel due to personal financial restrictions.

You don’t have to bypass professional car accident help after a collision; there are various options available that lessen or even eliminate financial burdens.

Factors That Play Into Your Automobile Accident Case

• Who was at-fault in the accident
• The type of auto insurance the involved parties carry
• The payment options offered by the health care facilities
• The damages lost and injuries sustained after an accident
• Attorney fees

Average Cost

The average cost of car accident-related medical care depends on factors unique to each case.

Where you a pedestrian or on a motorcycle? What speed were the vehicles traveling before impact? What are the extent of your injuries?

Depending on the facts of your potential case, you may have medical bills ranging from a few hundred dollars to even a hundred thousand dollars in medical bills, or more.

Many factors will influence the average medical cost of an automobile accident.

For example, one Insurance Information Association found that the average claim for bodily injury was $15,443!

Unfortunately, it is all too easy to rack up thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills. Without diligent representation, you may be faced with a pile of medical bills.

It’s your personal injury attorney's job to make sure those responsible pay your medical bills, not you.

Insurance Coverage and Medical Treatment 

After being involved in a collision, the first and most important thing you should do is seek professional health care.

If you were injured in a wreck that wasn’t your fault, the responsible party would have to pay for the damages caused, including your medical expenses.

If you've been asking how much does a chiropractor cost we can put your mind at rest. At Arrowhead Chiropractic Clinics we go after the responsible parties’ insurance, not you.

Your medical treatments, including your chiropractic care and treatment plan, would be covered by the negligent driver’s bodily injury liability coverage. This applies when the other driver was found at fault for the wreck.

Car Accident Injury Bills

In most cases, car accident injury bills will follow a basic pattern of payment responsibility.

The first piece of the pie will involve any co-pays or deductibles in place on the insurance policy in question, which is usually a standard health insurance policy.

Typically when you're in a car accident, you follow the same protocol that you would if you were getting medical treatment for an illness or any other health issue.

That means you will have to pay the usual deductible or co-pay under your health insurance.

Hospitals, ambulances and doctor’s offices may not require upfront payment from injured parties and may provide necessary services and then work with the patient and any involved insurance companies to determine who needs to pay what amount.

When it comes to actual insurance company responsibility for a car accident injury, the first payments are supposed to be charged against an auto policy in place.

Most states require motorists to have basic liability car insurance coverage. The amount of coverage can vary greatly, but medical care will or should be paid up to the at-fault driver's policy limits.

If your health insurance company paid for your medical care first, the health insurer will turn around and make a claim against the car insurance company that insures the at-fault driver.

Types of Insurance Coverage

Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

This is also called “no-fault insurance.”

Unlike liability, PIP insurance will pay for your medical costs, up to the policy’s limits, even if you were at fault.

Medical Payments Coverage

This insurance coverage helps to pay for medical expenses regardless of fault.

This policy is similar to PIP insurance; however, unlike PIP it does not cover lost income, funeral expenses and loss of services; medical payment only covers medical bills.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

This insurance coverage pays your bodily injury expenses if you’ve been:

• The victim of a hit and run accident
• Hit by a driver who possesses no insurance or limits that don’t meet your expenses

Arrowhead Chiropractic Clinics offer walk-in and same-day appointments.

Our auto accident specialists are available to answer any questions 24/7 about health insurance or auto insurance, or drop into one of our local clinics; we offer free consultations and affordable treatment plan options.

We'll make sure you only pay for your bills after a car crash if you have to.

Damages in Car Accident Injury Cases

The “damages” in a personal injury case refer to the cost of your injuries.

The following are considered along with the injuries suffered in an accident:

• Direct financial costs
• Emotional and indirect costs

The most common damages in an auto accident are Compensatory Damages. They include specific damages and general damages.

Specific Damages

This refers to the particularly valued amounts related to accident-related injuries or loss.

• Cost of medical bills
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Property loss

General Damages

These damages are those that do not have easily calculated dollar amount and are subjective.

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Inability to have children as a result of accident-related injuries
• Loss of extremity
• Loss of consortium, if the accident caused a strain on your relationship

If the defendant was notably careless when causing the accident, you may also be awarded punitive damages, which are meant to punish the defendant and are imposed by the court.

Seeking Legal Representation After a Personal Injury Auto Accident

The responsible party would be liable to cover the damages caused in the car accident, including your medical expenses.

If you need help dealing with a health insurance company, or your auto insurance, a personal injury lawyer from a respected law firm can help make sure all of your medical bills are paid for. 

You should never have to pay any upfront fees when you hire an attorney. They will only get paid when they win your case and you receive a fair settlement. A small portion of your final settlement will go to the attorney as payment.

Hiring a law firm to represent you after a car accident means you will have a professional working for you − one who is extremely educated about the statutes and regulations that affect your case.

A lawyer is exceptionally skilled in obtaining the necessary evidence to support your claim, including gathering police reports, witness statements, medical records and bills, and employment and lost wage information.

All of this is essential in proving your injuries and achieving financial compensation for your lost damages.   

An attorney can file a lawsuit on your behalf and will know how to mitigate best any possible defenses raised by the other side.

Additionally, once your case gets moving, your lawyer will play an essential role in preparing your case for trial and even going to trial if negotiations fall or a settlement can’t be reached.

Even though the chances of a case going to trial are rare, the threat of legal action offers substantial leverage when reaching a fair settlement.  

Lastly, and most importantly, having a lawyer who is informed and experienced about the law gives your case a standing chance on the playing field, especially when you are going up the vast resources of insurance companies and the defenses played against your case.

Get Attorney and Medical Help at Arrowhead Clinic

At Arrowhead Chiropractic Clinics we not only help you recover from a car accident with our chiropractic services, but we can refer you to a law firm with the best personal injury attorneys whose best interest is to get you back to a healthy standing and protect your rights.

These trusted lawyers don’t charge huge fees and work off a contingency basis meaning they only get paid if there is a satisfactory resolution to your claim.

Whether it's your health insurance, an auto policy, or the insurance of a negligent driver, we want to be sure you don't pay out of pocket unless you absolutely have to.

Our injury doctors and the attorneys we refer to have dealt with all types of accident claims and a variety of insurance companies; we make sure your side of the story is accurately detailed and represented and you are compensated for all of your losses.  

Next Blog: What Happens to you During a Car Accident?