auto accident attorney Magna, Utah

In a Utah Auto Accident? Attorneys Explain Who Pays Medical Bills

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Navigating the aftermath of a car crash in Rose Park, Utah, can be quite challenging. An experienced auto accident attorney can ease your stress by taking the necessary steps to protect your legal rights – but who will cover your medical bills?

 All too often, accident victims decide not to seek medical attention because they’re concerned about the cost. They may be in a great deal of pain, and they may truly need to see a doctor, but they don’t want to be left with a pile of bills. Yet auto accident attorneys say this shouldn’t be a concern.

 Why not? Who pays your medical bills after a car crash? Here, the professional team at Cockayne Law explains how the expenses are covered.

PIP Benefits

 Under Utah law, all motorists are required to have personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. Also called no-fault insurance, PIP policies cover medical expenses stemming from a car crash. If you’re like most people, you opted for the minimum of $3,000 in PIP coverage, but the amount could be $10,000 or more. In any case, your policy declarations page will show how much you have available.

 What does this really mean? After sustaining an injury in an auto accident, you need to file a claim with your own insurer – even if someone else caused the crash. Your insurance company will pay your medical bills up to the limit of your PIP coverage. And not to worry, using your no-fault insurance won’t impact your rates if you weren’t at fault.

Health Insurance

 Every seasoned Utah auto accident attorney has clients with medical costs that exceed the policy limit on their PIP coverage. If that’s the case for you, your own private health insurance provider will pay your medical bills. Or if you have Medicare or Medicaid, they’ll cover your expenses. However, this may not happen until you supply a copy of the PIP exhaustion letter, which you should receive as soon as you reach the limit.

 What if you don’t have health insurance? Lien-based medical care is an option, with an arrangement to pay your medical providers later, after you recover compensation from the party at fault for the auto accident. Attorneys often assist clients in negotiating medical liens, as a hefty premium may be built into every treatment charge. 

Pursuing a Legal Claim

While Utah is a no-fault state in regard to car crashes, that doesn’t mean fault is of no importance. It just means that no matter who is to blame for an auto accident, an attorney can only file a personal injury claim or pursue a lawsuit in certain circumstances. In other words, you won’t be able to take legal action unless one of the following is true:

  • You have exhausted your PIP coverage, incurring more than your policy limit in medical bills or other damages – which may include any wages you have lost due to accident-related injuries.

Or:

  • You have suffered disfigurement, dismemberment, permanent disability or another qualifying injury, such as significant scarring, limited use of a body system or loss of use of an organ. 

If you meet either or both criteria, an experienced auto accident attorney can help you hold the at-fault party financially accountable for your injuries. In addition, the door will be open for you to seek monetary compensation for all of your losses. A skilled legal professional can file a claim for pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment in life and any other intangible losses you have incurred.

Do You Need to Hire an Auto Accident Attorney?

 Legal representation isn’t mandatory in the state of Utah, but working with an auto accident attorney is a smart move when you have sizable medical bills. An experienced lawyer can help you by:

  • Answering your questions about PIP insurance and auto accident claims
  • Monitoring your medical expenses, documenting the paid and unpaid bills
  • Coordinating lien-based medical treatment with Rose Park care providers
  • Filing a legal claim to recover the monetary compensation you deserve

Also, if your health insurance provider has been covering your medical bills, they’ll expect to be reimbursed once you collect damages through a personal injury claim or lawsuit. And if you opted for medical liens, those care providers will want to be paid in full. Either way, an experienced auto accident lawyer can negotiate to ensure that you end up with more money when your case is resolved. 

Granted, you could hunt down the information you need to handle these tasks on your own. Going that route may not lead to the best outcome, however – research shows that auto accident victims who have legal representation walk away with much more money than those who don’t. Working with a lawyer greatly increases your odds of obtaining every dollar you deserve, and by turning your case over to a legal professional, you can focus on recovering. Add in the fact that most auto accident attorneys handle claims on a contingency fee basis, charging no legal fees unless they win, and you can see that hiring a lawyer may be worth your while.

 If you’ve been injured in a car crash, the professional team at Cockayne Law is ready to provide the legal help you need. For a free, no-obligation consultation with one of the best auto accident attorneys in Rose Park, Utah, contact our law office today.