Who Pays the Medical Bills After a Car Crash?
One of the first things that car accident victims think about is how they will cover the cost of treating their injuries. The short answer to this question is that the driver’s PIP insurance will cover related medical expenses. However, this coverage will only apply up to the limits of a policy, which can cause significant problems for those whose injuries were severe. Fortunately, those who find themselves in this situation are not without legal recourse, so if you were hurt in an accident and don’t know who will pay your own medical bills, please reach out to one of our experienced Fort Lauderdale auto accident lawyers today for help.
PIP Coverage
All Florida drivers are required to obtain Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage of at least $10,000. Because Florida is a no-fault auto insurance state, motorists who are injured in car accidents must first file a claim with their own insurer under these policies, which cover 80 percent of the following expenses:
- Medical, surgical, x-ray, dental, and rehabilitative services;
- Ambulance, hospital, and nursing services; and
- Follow-up medical care.
While PIP policies cover these costs regardless of who was at fault for an accident, they only reimburse those expenses up to the limits of a policy, which can happen quite quickly for those who have the minimum policy limits. Once these limits have been reached, an injured party should look to his or her other insurance policies, which may provide coverage of some of their bills.
MedPay Coverage
When purchasing auto insurance, many drivers also elect to purchase MedPay coverage. These policies offer additional assistance when it comes to paying medical bills after PIP coverage has been exceeded. MedPay also covers medical bills without regard to who caused the accident. Furthermore, this coverage doesn’t require policyholders to pay deductibles or coinsurance.
Those who did not purchase a MedPay policy, however, should look to their other insurers, including healthcare insurance providers, as these policies often provide coverage of some medical bills.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage
Florida drivers are also given the opportunity to purchase uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage when they obtain auto insurance. As their names suggest, these policies cover policyholders in the event that they are injured in a collision with an uninsured or underinsured driver.
Filing a Claim Against the Other Driver
Car accident victims whose costs exceed their own policies and who were not at fault for their crash can then file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurer, who will then be responsible for the remainder of the claimant’s medical bills. In some cases, this may require that the parties go to court to litigate the issue of who was at fault for the accident. Alternatively, in cases where an accident victim’s injuries are considered serious, he or she may also have the option of going straight to court to obtain compensation for accident-related losses.
Experienced Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Lawyers
For help determining who is responsible for your own medical bills after a car accident, please reach out to the attorneys at Boone & Davis today. We can be reached at our Fort Lauderdale office at 954-566-9919 or via online message.
