How to Handle Medical Bills While Waiting for a Settlement

February 10, 2020

When you or a loved one are injured in a car crash, you’ll do anything for a quick and full recovery. For many victims, that means calling an ambulance, opting for any recommended surgeries, and long periods of physical rehabilitation. Unfortunately, those aspects of the recovery process aren’t cheap—and paying for them is often made even more difficult when injuries prevent you from working and earning paychecks.

Even if the crash has left you permanently disabled, your medical bills will keep coming, regardless of whether you can pay for them out of pocket or not. Calling an experienced Baton Rouge auto accident lawyer soon after the accident can get you started on the path to compensation, but claims take time to build, process, and settle. In the meantime, your bills may be going past their due dates and turning into second, third, or final notices before being sent to collection agencies.

The time period between your crash and the day you get your check can be difficult, but being unable to pay bills in full or even make the first payment on your own doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. There are other resources you can utilize to keep your head above water while you wait for your settlement, and our lawyers can help you review all your options.

Keep These Options in Mind While You Wait for Your Check

Knowing you’re on the hook for thousands or tens of thousands of dollars of medical bills after a crash can be hard to deal with, especially if you aren’t able to work. Your attorneys are working hard on your claim, but you don’t know when you’ll get a check. In the meantime, these resources are available to help you stay on top of your bills:

  • Your health insurance coverage—Health insurance is designed to pay for all types of medical bills, whether they’re incurred due to illness or injury. To ensure your health insurance is properly utilized during the billing process, provide the hospital with your information or card as soon as possible.
  • Medicare and/or Medicaid—Both Medicare and Medicaid can be used to pay for some healthcare costs after crashes. Keep in mind, however, that you may be required to reimburse them for anything they paid toward your bills after you receive a settlement check.
  • Subrogation—If your auto insurance provider believes you have a good chance of winning your compensation claim, it may pay for your medical bills upfront under the assumption that it will be reimbursed by your settlement check.
  • Your supplemental auto insurance policy—If you purchased supplemental injury coverage for your auto insurance policy, such as med pay or personal injury protection (PIP), it can be used to pay for some of your medical bills.
  • Fundraising services and charities—Online fundraising platforms such as GoFundMe are becoming a more commonly used resource for victims and their families after crashes. Traditional charities also provide help for families that can’t afford their medical bills.
  • Bill negotiation and payment plans—The amount owed on your bills isn’t always the amount you have to pay, especially if you can’t afford it. Negotiating with the hospital or its billing service for a reduced payment or for a payment plan can help you manage your bills.

At Dudley DeBosier, our legal team is here to make sure you’re taken care of after an accident that wasn’t your fault. And while our primary focus is on building a claim that will get you paid, we’re also here to address your concerns and answer your questions about your compensation through every step of the process. That’s the Dudley DeBosier Difference.

Trust Our Experience and Track Record of Success

Having many options to manage your medical expenses after a crash that wasn’t your fault is important. But for true peace of mind, you need money to pay off your bills, replace your lost income, and compensate you for everything you’ve gone through. And at Dudley DeBosier, that’s exactly what we’ll set out to get for you.

The sooner you contact us, the better. That means more evidence may be available for us as we build your claim, and you’ll wait less time for your claim to settle and to get your check. To us, seeing innocent victims pay out of pocket for crashes that aren’t their fault is simply unacceptable. That’s why we do everything in our power to help our clients get every penny they deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation.