Who Pays for Medical Bills After a Car Accident or Other Injury?

Posted on August 8, 2022 in Car Accident

After sustaining an injury caused by the negligence of another, victims need to receive medical care quickly. In some cases, this medical care will need to be ongoing, but who pays all of these medical bills?

It is important to understand how medical bills get paid after an injury occurs, particularly as a victim awaits a settlement from an insurance carrier or a verdict from a personal injury jury. This can take some time, but the medical bills will certainly need to be paid in the meantime.

Medical Bills Right After an Injury Occurs

After an injury caused by the negligence of another individual or entity, the victim must receive medical care immediately. This includes emergency medical care to stabilize any injuries as well as any follow-up care that is needed. However, the reality is that the personal injury claim related to the incident will likely not be settled quickly enough to handle these initial medical expenses. In fact, sometimes, injury settlements or personal injury jury verdicts can take months or even years to come through.

This puts the injury victim in a tough spot when it comes to paying medical bills. Often, these individuals will have to pay out-of-pocket, or they may have to turn to their own health insurance coverage, if they have such coverage. It may be possible to ask a doctor or medical provider to continue providing medical care with the understanding that they will be paid out of the eventual insurance settlement or jury verdict, but the doctor may not agree to this type of arrangement.

The Settlement or Jury Verdict

The ultimate goal for a personal injury victim is to recover complete compensation for their losses through an insurance settlement or as a result of a successful personal injury lawsuit. In these cases, victims should be able to recover compensation for their emergency medical bills, continued follow-up medical care, lost income if they are unable to work, property damage expenses, as well as their pain and suffering losses.

Paying Back Insurance Carriers or Medical Providers

If your case is successful, meaning you received an insurance settlement or compensation through a personal injury jury verdict, there may be other individuals you have to pay back out of that settlement first.

If you and your attorney convince the doctor or other medical provider to handle the medical treatment for free while awaiting a settlement, then you will have to pay them back as agreed. If you used your health insurance to cover the medical expenses, then the insurance carrier will likely have the right to recover compensation through subrogation. This simply means that they have the right to be reimbursed for the medical bills that they have already paid.

Working With an Attorney

Personal injury claims in Oregon can be complicated, and we strongly suggest any person who has been harmed due to the negligence of another to work with a skilled attorney immediately. Your Portland personal injury lawyer will be your advocate, and they will help ensure that you receive proper medical care throughout the entirety of your claim.