Being involved in a bicycle accident is terrifying, but the aftermath might be the most frightening part. Depending on your injuries, the medical bills can quickly add up, causing you stress, worry, and its own kind of pain.
Even something as simple as breaking your arm can cost you thousands when you think of the Emergency Room visit, imaging, additional diagnostic testing, and other physical therapy and follow-up doctor’s visits. Then there’s the missed work and extended time away that can cost you some bucks!
When you’re looking at potentially the biggest medical bills of your life stacking up before your eyes, you’re probably wondering where you can turn for help financially so that those bills can be taken care of. Many people think that the driver that was at fault is the only way to pay for bills. Luckily, there are a few other options you can turn to, even if it’s just until you can receive your settlement money.
Auto Insurance Coverage
You may not have physically been sitting in your car at the time of the accident. Still, the personal injury protection (PIP) portion of your auto insurance may be able to kick in and cover medical bills. It never hurts to call your insurer and discuss what options you have. You may have to go this route first before you can tap into other insurance coverage.
Health Insurance
If you, as the bicyclist, have health insurance (including Medicaid), then you can process your medical bills through that insurance as well. Although it seems unfair that your insurance would have to pay for medical bills that occurred because of no fault of yours (or their insured individual), it’s an excellent place to start.
Once a settlement has been made, your insurance company will usually be able to receive reimbursement for the medical bills they have covered in the meantime.
Liability Insurance for the At-Fault Driver
It would make sense for the at-fault driver’s liability insurance to cover medical expenses as you receive treatment and bills, right? Well, that’s not quite how it works. Liability insurance will usually cover medical bills once the patient has been released from treatment altogether and once all the other insurances (health insurance, PIP, etc.) have already paid what they will cover. There is typically a one-time payment made from the driver’s liability insurance company once all is said and done.
Savings Accounts, Friends and Family
Some people are lucky enough to have savings that will cover their medical bills, at least temporarily. There may also be close friends or family that are able to lend or give you money to cover your bills until you receive your settlement from the driver at fault. If this is an option for you, it’s a great one to consider as it does not go against your credit, and you don’t normally have to pay interest.
Worker’s Compensation
Another option that not many people think about is worker’s compensation. If you were riding your bicycle on your way to or from work or as part of your work routine, you could claim worker’s comp and receive help for medical bill coverage.
Lien
Not everyone has all the options we’ve discussed available to them. Maybe some costs were able to be covered but not all that was needed. It can be frustrating to need continual medical treatment and feel like you can’t take care of yourself because the costs are too much to deal with.
This is when a knowledgeable attorney can step in and help with those bills that aren’t able to be covered by other means. Your attorney can help manage bills that are coming in until you are able to pay for them with settlement money from the driver at fault. Your lawyer will be able to let hospitals and doctor’s offices know that you have filed a claim against the opposing party and are awaiting compensation. A lien will be set up for you so that your medical bills will not have to be paid until that compensation is received.
It’s important to know that a lien can possibly damage your credit score. If this is worrisome to you, you might want to try other means before opting for a lien. If you don’t have any other options, though, it is an excellent option to keep in mind.
File a Claim to Obtain Payment for Your Medical Bills
The attorney team at Wormington & Bollinger can help with filing a claim against the driver at fault in your auto/bicycle accident. In addition, receiving financial, personal injury, and emotional compensation for what you’ve dealt with can help ease the stress of current and future bills that have or will occur because of your injuries.
Attempting to handle a case on your own may be a choice that will haunt you for days and years to come. Insurance companies are tough to deal with, and a lawyer knows the ins and outs of handling them so that nothing is done that might accidentally jeopardize your chance for a reasonable settlement. Unfortunately, it’s easy to make a small mistake without knowing you’re doing it when you’re on your own.
Your legal team at Wormington & Bollinger will take care of you by handling negotiations, dealing with insurance companies, helping you calculate the desired compensation, and more. While it can take quite a while to receive a settlement, a good attorney will work hard to make a great case so that your settlement will cover medical bills and more. This will allow you to do what you need to so you can get back to the life you loved before your accident.
Call Wormington & Bollinger today for answers to questions about your case and to schedule a time to talk more in-depth with an attorney about the details of your case, including your medical bills. You can feel confident that you and your case are in experienced hands.