Is Professional Medical and Legal Guidance After a Car Accident Affordable?

Following a car accident, the costs of medical treatments and legal assistance can be intimidating.

If you are unfamiliar with these costs or if this is your first time being involved in a car accident, you probably would like a little guidance on this process.

You're also probably wondering What Happens to you During a Car Accident?

In this blog, we discuss the various costs of a car accident.

Table of contents:

• The costs of medical and legal help after a car accident
• Factors that play into your automobile accident case
• Insurance coverage and medical treatment
• Types of insurance coverage
  • Personal injury protection (PIP)
  • Medical payments coverage
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
• Damages in car accident injury cases
  • Specific damages
  • General damages
• Seeking legal representation after a personal injury auto accident
• Get attorney and medical help at Arrowhead Clinic

Determining who is at fault, who is responsible for damages, and how medical bills will be covered after a car accident are common questions for all accident injury victims.

Often, many accident victims avoid medical services and legal counsel due to personal financial restrictions.

You don’t have to bypass professional car accident help after a collision; there are various options available that lessen or even eliminate financial burdens.

Factors That Play Into Your Automobile Accident Case

• Who was the at-fault party in the accident
• The type of auto insurance the involved parties carry
• The payment options offered by the healthcare facilities
• The damages lost and injuries sustained after an accident
• Attorney fees
  
  

Average Cost

The average cost of car accident-related medical care depends on factors unique to each case.

Were you a pedestrian or on a motorcycle? What speed were the vehicles traveling before impact? What are the extent of your injuries?

Depending on the facts of your potential case, you may have medical bills ranging from a few hundred dollars to even a hundred thousand dollars in medical bills or more.

Many factors will influence the average medical cost of an automobile accident.

For example, one Insurance Information Association found that the average claim for bodily injury was $15,443!

Unfortunately, it is all too easy to rack up thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills.

Without diligent representation from an experienced accident lawyer, you may be faced with a pile of medical bills.

It’s your personal injury attorney's job to make sure those responsible pay your medical bills, not you.

Insurance Coverage and Medical Treatment 

After being involved in a collision, the first and most important thing you should do is find a medical provider to diagnose your injuries. 

If you were injured in a wreck that wasn’t your fault, the responsible party would have to pay for the damages caused, including your medical expenses.

If you've been wondering how much a chiropractor costs, we can put your mind at rest. At Arrowhead Chiropractic Clinics, we pursue the responsible party's insurance, not yours.

Your medical treatments, including your chiropractic care and treatment plan, would be covered by the negligent driver’s bodily injury liability coverage. This applies when the other driver was found at fault for the wreck.

Car Accident Injury Bills

In most cases, car accident injury bills will follow a basic pattern of payment responsibility.

The first piece of the pie will involve any co-pays or deductibles in place on the insurance policy in question, which is usually a standard health insurance policy.

Typically, when you're in a car accident, you follow the same protocol that you would if you were getting medical treatment for an illness or any other health issue.

That means you will have to pay the usual deductible or co-pay under your health insurance provider.

Hospitals, ambulances, and doctor’s offices may not require upfront payment from injured parties. They may provide necessary services and then work with the patient and any involved healthcare provider to determine who needs to pay what amount.

When it comes to actual insurance company responsibility for a car accident injury, the first payments are supposed to be charged against an auto policy.

Most states require motorists to have basic liability car insurance coverage. The amount of coverage can vary greatly, but medical care will or should be paid up to the at-fault driver's policy limits.

If your health insurance company paid for your medical care first, the healthcare provider will turn around and make an insurance claim against the car insurance company that insures the at-fault driver.

Types of Insurance Coverage

Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

This is also called “no-fault insurance.”

Unlike liability, PIP insurance will pay for your medical costs up to the policy’s limits, even if you were at fault.

Medical Payments Coverage

This insurance coverage helps to pay for medical expenses regardless of fault.

This policy is similar to PIP insurance; however, unlike PIP it does not cover lost income, funeral expenses and loss of services; medical payment only covers medical bills.

Underinsured/Uninsured Motorist Coverage

This insurance coverage pays your bodily injury expenses if you’ve been:

• The victim of a hit-and-run accident
• Hit by a driver who possesses no insurance or limits that don’t meet your expenses

Arrowhead Chiropractic Clinics offer walk-in and same-day appointments.

Our auto accident specialists are available 24/7 to answer any questions about health insurance or auto insurance.

You can also drop into one of our local clinics; we offer free consultations and affordable payment plan options.

We'll make sure you do not owe any out-of-pocket costs for treatment.

Damages in Car Accident Injury Cases

The “damages” in a personal injury case refer to the cost of your injuries.

The following are considered along with the injuries suffered in an accident:

• Direct financial costs
• Emotional and indirect costs

The most common damages in an auto accident are Compensatory Damages. They include specific damages and general damages.

Specific Damages

This refers to the particularly valued amounts related to accident-related injuries or loss.

• Cost of medical bills
• Lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Property loss

General Damages

These damages are those that do not have easily calculated dollar amounts and are subjective.

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Inability to have children as a result of accident-related injuries
• Loss of extremity
• Loss of consortium if the accident caused a strain on your relationship

If the defendant was notably careless when causing the accident, you may also be awarded punitive damages, which are meant to punish the defendant and are imposed by the court.

Seeking Legal Representation After a Personal Injury Auto Accident

The responsible party would be liable to cover the damages caused by the car accident, including your medical expenses.

If you need help dealing with a health insurance company or your auto insurance, a personal injury lawyer from a respected law firm can help make sure all of you receive fair compensation for all your medical bills.

You should never have to pay any upfront fees when you hire an attorney.

Accident injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis and only get paid when they win your accident settlement.

A small portion of your final accident settlement will go to the auto accident attorney as payment.

Hiring a law firm to represent your injury claim after a car accident means you will have a professional working for you − one who is extremely educated about the statutes and regulations that affect your case.

A lawyer is exceptionally skilled in obtaining the necessary evidence to support your claim, including gathering police reports, witness statements, medical records and bills, and employment and lost wage information.

All of this is essential in proving your injuries and achieving financial compensation for your lost damages.

An experienced attorney can file a lawsuit on your behalf and will know how to best mitigate any defenses raised by the other side.

Additionally, once your case gets moving, your lawyer will play an essential role in preparing your case for trial and even going to trial if negotiations fall or fair compensation can’t be reached.

Even though the chances of a case going to trial are rare, the threat of legal action offers substantial leverage when reaching a fair settlement.

Lastly, and most importantly, having an experienced lawyer who understands the legal process and the law gives your accident lawsuit a standing chance on the playing field, especially when you are going up the vast resources of insurance companies and the defenses played against your case.

Get Attorney and Medical Help at Arrowhead Clinic

At Arrowhead Chiropractic Clinics, we not only provide accident injury treatment with our chiropractic services, but we can refer you to a law firm with the most experienced car accident lawyers whose best interest is to get you back to a healthy standing and protect your rights.

These skilled lawyers don’t charge huge fees and work on a contingency basis, meaning they only get paid if your claim is resolved satisfactorily.

Whether it's your health insurance, an auto policy, or the insurance of a negligent driver, we want to be sure you don't pay out of pocket unless you absolutely have to.

Our injury doctors and the attorneys we refer to have dealt with all types of accident claims and a variety of insurance companies.

We make sure your side of the story is accurately detailed and represented and that you are compensated for all of your losses.

If you need accident care and legal services, don't hesitate to contact our injury clinic right away. We can schedule you for a free consultation with an experienced chiropractor and connect you with expert legal advocates to assist with your accident injury claim. 

Next Blog: What Happens to you During a Car Accident?