Need Help Paying Your Medical Bills?

Doctor Examining a Patient | Fort Worth Personal Injury Lawyer | Berenson Injury Law

Doctor Examining Patient

So as you can see, this is a very important topic. The problem is that you will not know in advance which doctors you need to see, what they charge, and who is paying them.

That is the reason that the statute of limitations in Texas is two years from the date of the collision. Lawmakers knew how long this process can take and gave injured Texans two years to treat and then negotiate their insurance claim or file a lawsuit.

How to get your medical bills paid before the settlement or jury verdict

You might assume that State Farm, GEICO, or the insurance company the negligent driver is covered by will automatically mail you reimbursement checks. Unfortunately, this never happens. Why not? Insurance companies, like businesses, do everything they can to maximize their profits. They do this in two ways: raising premiums and lowering the money they pay in claims.

That is why the company often denies fault and minimizes damages. It does not want to pay much, if any, money until an aggressive personal injury lawyer makes them.

How much should the insurance company pay if it assumes liability and decides to make an offer? You can’t get an accurate answer from the internet, a friend, or a lawyer commercial on TV. Without the expert help of an experienced personal injury lawyer, you are not be in a position to know how much a car accident case is worth.

Ways to get your medical bills paid before the settlement or jury verdict

No one will tell you what your final tally for your medical bills will be. Rarely will they even know. Hopefully your pain will resolve quickly. But each person is different and you may continue to need medical treatment.  These are some places to start to get your medical bills paid quickly.

1. Health insurance

You should file on your plan. But you need to know that there can be complications. We see these on a daily basis:

  • You have not met your annual deductible (especially now that it is January and a new year has begun);
  • Large co-pays are required;
  • The plan claims it does not have to pay anything since the other driver’s policy is the primary one responsible:
  • Your company says that your hospital or doctors were out-of-network;
  • Your hospital or doctors refuse to file on your health insurance, wanting more money from the driver’s liability insurance carrier;
  • The plan limits which doctors you can see and how many times you can see them;
  • The doctors on the plan refuse to treat you because they fear the case may go to court; and/or
  • The plan pays but files a subrogation lien demanding repayment.

2. Personal injury protection 

PIP is a very useful policy that you or the vehicle owner may have purchased. It will pay you and everyone in your vehicle up to a minimum of $2,500 for medical bills and 80% of lost wages. Here is more information that can help you: How to maximize Texas Personal Injury Protection

3. Medical payments

“Med Pay” is a limited option you or the owner may have bought but it has a big disadvantage: you have to repay your company back when you recover money.

4. Uninsured motorists

Your uninsured motorist policy can be utilized if the careless driver has no liability insurance or causes a hit and run – both of which happen often in Texas.

Recovering damages when driver hit by an uninsured driver

5. Underinsured motorists

Underinsured motorists coverage can be filed on if the bad driver only had the minimum policy of $30,000 per person and your damages are clearly much higher than that. For example, you had to have surgery, your medical bills were $50,000, and you lost wages of $5,000.
Takeaway: the other insurance company does not have to reimburse you for your medical bills up front and will try to underpay you later.

We can help you

If you have suffered from personal injuries caused by another driver in Fort Worth, Dallas, or anywhere in North Texas, you should also seek the assistance of an experienced lawyer. The personal injury claims process is complicated and trying to handle the claim or lawsuit yourself can cost thousands of dollars.

We will guide you through the snake-like process. Among other steps we take, we will

  • obtain the police report and speak to the officer,
  • investigate how the collision happened,
  • get statements from eyewitnesses,
  • secure photographs and other evidence,
  • prove liability,
  • work with you and your doctors to get the medical treatment you need so you heal as quickly as possible,
  • make sure their payment is made or secured,
  • document your injuries and medical bills so you can be fairly compensated, and
  • negotiate a favorable out-of-court settlement or file a lawsuit.

For over 40 years, Berenson Injury Law has successfully represented injured Texans. The only way an insurance company will ever pay someone a reasonable amount of money is if it believes that the injury attorney can convince a judge and jury to award a large verdict.

Our experienced team of professionals will help you figure out your best strategy. We tailor a plan to meet the individual needs of every client.

Please let us know how we can help you by calling us at 817-885-8000 (toll-free at 1-888-801-8585) or by filling out this contact form.

For more information please read:

Our next post which will give you more ways to get your medical bills paid or deferred.

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