Who pays for treatment costs related to a car accident?

If you have sustained an injury as a result of a car accident, the treatment that you need to recover may be extensive and expensive. Depending on the type of treatment that you need, and whether you will require any ongoing rehabilitation, the costs could run into tens of thousands of dollars or more.

 

So, what are your options when it comes to paying for treatment costs related to a car accident? Realistically, you have three options. These are as follows:

 

First Party Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

First party personal injury protection is a type of insurance that covers the losses of the person named on the policy that you can choose to add to your auto insurance policy. Those named on the policy could be an individual, a family, occupants of a particular vehicle, a group of individuals of a particular class such as employees of a company or a company itself.

 

When you make a claim directly against your own insurance company, you will be entitled to recover what is defined by the terms of the policy. Your claim will help you to pay for things like medical and hospital expenses and loss of wages. Typically, PIP covers medical and hospital expenses up to $10,000 for each person involved in the accident, although some people choose to take out additional coverage. It’s important that you check your policy to see what your PIP cover entitles you to.

 

Personal Health Insurance

If you don’t have personal injury protection (PIP) on your car insurance, you can normally use your personal health insurance to pay for any medical expenses relating to your car accident. However, most claims will require you to pay your insurance deductible and potentially other fees too so you must check your policy for details about your coverage and deductibles. It’s best to forward copies of your car accident medical bills to your health insurance company as soon as you receive them. If you then decide to file a liability claim to cover medical costs later, you may need to reimburse your health insurance company for any expenses that they have incurred.

 

3^rd Party Liability Insurance

If the accident wasn’t your fault, it can seem extremely unfair to expect you to pay for these expenses. Fortunately, in the state of Washington, anyone driving a motor vehicle in the state must carry liability insurance. This doesn’t apply to your own injuries or vehicle damage but will pay the medical bills, property damage bills, and other costs of people who have received damages in a car accident that you have caused. If you have been involved in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you should be able to claim via the at-fault driver’s 3^rd party liability insurance.

 

Our experienced staff are trained to help our patients who have been involved in an accident decide how to pay for their treatment. If you don’t have adequate cover via PIP or health insurance, our clinics will be happy to see you on a lien basis. This is where we will assert a claim against any damages that you may receive as a result of your accident.

 

Learn more about paying for treatment after an accident, contact Back and Neck Pain Centers in Seattle to book an appointment.