Given that the U.S. uses private health insurance, the responsibility for your medical bills following a car accident falls on you. Of course, if you have health insurance, your insurer will either pay your healthcare providers or reimburse you for your medical bills.
But health insurance does not cover everything after an auto accident in San Diego, CA. You may not have the resources necessary to pay the deductible or co-pays needed for your service. Many people lack health insurance and access to the medical help they need after a car accident.
Mission Personal Injury Lawyers offers a free initial consultation. Contact our law offices at (619) 777-5555 to get started today.
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How Mission Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help With Your San Diego Car Accident Claim
Mission Personal Injury Lawyers is a family-owned law firm that has helped its clients recover tens of millions of dollars in injury compensation. Our firm’s San Diego car accident attorneys have dozens of years of experience and have won or settled an incredible 99% of their cases.
When you hire a car accident lawyer we can assist you in the following ways, to name just a few:
- Internally investigate your case to bolster your compensation claim
- Negotiate a settlement with the other party on your behalf
- Keep you apprised of your legal options throughout
Some awards and honors received by the firm’s lawyers in San Diego, California, include:
- A rating of AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell for legal knowledge and strong ethics
- Recognition as Top 100 Trial Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers
- Being named San Diego Super Lawyers on multiple occasions
Car accident injuries can require expensive medical treatment, therapy, and medication, so contact Mission Personal Injury Lawyers to learn about your options for paying for your medical bills after a car accident.
How Common Are Medical Bills After a San Diego, California Car Accident?
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), 19,928 people were injured or killed in traffic accidents in San Diego County in a recent year, a number that included roughly 1,200 pedestrians and 700 cyclists.
For its population, these numbers placed San Diego County in the middle of all California counties based on their traffic injury and death rates. The state saw 31 counties more dangerous than San Diego County and 26 counties less so.
Bear in mind that people with fatal injuries often receive medical attention before passing away, which means that nearly 20,000 people incurred at least some medical expenses after a traffic accident in that same recent year mentioned above.
Overview of Who Pays Your Medical Bills After a Car Accident in San Diego, CA
You will be primarily responsible for paying your medical bills after a car accident, though in many cases, you can seek assistance from other sources that include the following:
Your Auto Insurance
California has fault-based auto insurance, which means that the minimum required insurance policies for its residents do not include coverage for medical bills.
You can, however, buy optional coverage to help with your medical expenses after a car crash. Medical payment (MedPay) coverage will pay for a certain amount of medical expenses after an accident, and you’ll receive these benefits regardless of who was at fault. Thus, you can get MedPay coverage for your bills even if you caused the crash.
MedPay coverage does impose a policy limit, but you can receive reimbursement for all reasonably necessary medical costs up to that limit.
Your Health Insurance
Your health insurance will pay for your medical expenses regardless of fault. As with your auto insurance, you will receive care and coverage from your health insurance provider even if the accident was your fault.
The drawback of using health insurance is that most plans require a deductible or co-pay, meaning you will incur out-of-pocket expenses just to receive medical treatment.
Some people combine MedPay coverage with their health insurance to pay for their treatment. MedPay will cover your unreimbursed out-of-pocket medical expenses, so you can use that coverage to pay your deductibles or co-pays required under your health insurance policy.
The At-Fault Driver’s Insurance
If someone else caused the car accident you were a victim of, you could pursue an injury claim against the at-fault driver by filing an insurance claim against the driver’s liability policy.
The insurer will assign your claim to an adjuster that will investigate your injuries and medical costs. If they agree that the policyholder was who caused your accident, the insurer will pay.
To prove the other driver caused the accident, you and your injury lawyer must prove negligence, showing that the other driver failed to exercise reasonable care while driving and that this failure caused the accident. In most cases, you will point to a violation of traffic laws to establish the other driver’s carelessness.
Sometimes, the adjuster will deny your claim. Some common grounds for claim denials include the following:
- The policyholder was not negligent
- The accident did not cause your injuries
- You received unnecessary treatment for your injuries
If the adjuster denies your claim, your injury lawyer may need to file a lawsuit to seek compensation for your medical bills.
Out of Pocket
If you have no health insurance, no auto insurance coverage for medical bills, and you caused the accident, you may not have any alternate source of funds to pay your medical bills. Instead, you will need to rely on your income and savings to pay for any medical treatment, therapy, and drugs you receive.
Unfortunately, many people find themselves in this position. Studies show that anywhere between 26% and 62% of bankruptcies result, at least partially, from unpaid medical bills.
Schedule a Free Case Review With Our Car Wreck Lawyers in San Diego
Even a minor accident can incur massive medical bills. To discuss your options for paying for your medical bills after a car accident, contact Mission Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation with an experienced Car Wreck Lawyer in San Diego.
San Diego Car Accident Claims We Handle
Our law firm handles all types of car accident cases involving:
- Commercial vehicle accidents
- Distracted driving accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Head-on crashes
- Highway crashes
- Intersection accidents
- Lane change crashes
- Left turn crashes
- Multi-vehicle crashes
- Parking lot accidents
- Rear-end accidents
- Rollover accidents
- Self-driving car crashes
- Single vehicle accidents
- Speeding crashes
- U-turn accidents
- Red and yellow light accidents
- Uninsured motorist claims
- Suv-rollover accident
- Recreational vehicle accidents
San Diego Car Accident Resources
- San Diego Car Accident Statistics
- San Diego Car Accident FAQs
- What To Do After a Car Accident in San Diego
- How To Obtain an Accident Report in San Diego, CA
- Questions To Ask a Lawyer After a Car Accident in San Diego, CA
- What To Do When Injured in a Car Accident in San Diego
- Do I Have To Go To Court After a Car Accident in San Diego?
- California Child Car Seat Laws
- Can I Be Compensated For Pre-Existing Conditions After a Car Accident in San Diego?
- Car Inspection Laws in San Diego, CA
- Do I Need a Lawyer After a Hit and Run Accident in San Diego?
- How Long Will My Car Accident Case Take to Settle in California?
- Car Color & Crash Risk
- Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections in San Diego, CA