As one of the premier personal injury law firms in California, at Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas we get a lot of questions. One of the ones we hear a lot is from people who’ve sustained injuries in a car accident or other personal injury case and had huge medical bills, only to see their health insurance company pay the bill. While it’s certainly good news for everyone involved, it often leaves them wondering: Can I get compensated for my medical expenses even if they were paid by my insurance? The short answer is: Yes, you can.
You are entitled to compensation for your injuries
No matter what type of injuries you sustained, whether catastrophic injuries or minor injuries, you are entitled to compensation for both what you paid and your outstanding medical bills. That means that even if you didn’t specifically pay for a treatment, you’re entitled to be reimbursed for it. For example, let’s say you have $100,000 worth of medical bills. You are entitled to the entire $100,000 even if your insurance company paid most or even all of the bill.
A personal injury case isn’t just about the out-of-pocket expenses you encountered. It’s about the value of each of your injuries. To learn more about your specific issues and what you may be entitled to, contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas today by calling 909-982-0707.
Your insurance company will also get compensation for their coverage
Although you are entitled to include the full amount of your total medical costs in your personal injury case, keep in mind that in most cases, your health insurance company is also entitled to be reimbursed for what they’ve spent on your injuries. Those funds are likely to come out of the settlement you win.
Why? Because most insurance policies include a clause that basically says that they’re entitled to be reimbursed in the event that they pay for injuries that you eventually receive a settlement on. That said, if you don’t receive a settlement then you’re obviously not required to pay your health insurance company back.
Remember that your settlement will only include the amount that the defendant was responsible for your injuries
The amount of your total settlement will be based on numerous factors, including how responsible you were and how responsible the defendant was for the accident. For example, if you were considered 50% at fault for the accident then you wouldn’t get a payment as large as you would if you were 0% at fault. If you end up getting a 50% settlement then your insurance company should only be entitled to 50% of the medical costs – but they may try to take it all.
This is just one reason you need to work with an experienced personal injury attorney. Call Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas right away to learn more about your options and to get a free case evaluation.
