If you have been the victim of an accident in the state of California, whether a car accident, motorcycle accident, dog bite accident, or any other accident in which another party was at fault, then you may have questions about paying your medical bills. The best way to get answers to your direct question is to contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free consultation. You can also keep reading to get answers to some of the most commonly asked questions.
Who is responsible for paying medical bills after a California accident?
If one party breached their duty of care, then they are legally responsible to pay damages – including the medical bills of the injured party. However, it is uncommon for the at-fault party to simply admit guilt and offer to pay the bills right away. Instead, many victims have to work on getting their bills paid while they are waiting for their personal injury case to move forward.
There are several options to do so. If you have private health insurance or government health insurance, then you can use that to pay for your medical expenses. If you have some type of policy that covers you, such as a homeowner’s or renter’s policy, that could be used as well. If you do not have coverage then some doctors and specialists will agree to see you on a lien basis. This means that you do not pay them until your case is settled.
Who pays if I have more than one insurance policy?
In some cases, you may have more than one insurance police that could potentially cover your medical costs after an injury. In this case, it is likely you will want to submit to one of the insurers before the other. For example, if you see a chiropractor and an orthopedist and you have one insurance policy that provides coverage for a chiropractor and another does not, then you would likely submit one bill to each insurance company.
However, there are other factors to consider. If one policy type has a much larger deductible and / or much larger co-pay, then you would likely keep that coverage as backup to be used only if you max out your first policy. At Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas we can help you determine which policy should be used first.
Does my health insurance company get repaid if I win my case?
In most cases, yes. Private and government health insurers generally have a subrogation right, which means they have a right to be reimbursed if you are reimbursed for the fees they were charged. This is true whether the case is settled in or out of court.
These are answer to just a few questions that often come up regarding paying medical bills after an accident. If you have additional questions then we urge you to contact Law Offices of Fernando D. Vargas at 909-982-0707 for a free legal consultation.
