Often when we sit down with someone who was seriously injured in a truck accident, one of their first questions is, “I wasn’t at fault in this crash, so who’s going to pay my medical bills?” As is often the case in the law, the answer is complicated.
Under Illinois law, a negligent truck driver (usually covered by the trucking company’s insurance) is responsible to pay for your reasonable and necessary medical care and treatment for any injuries your sustained in the crash. This includes any bills for medical treatment reasonably necessary that you will owe in the future.
Sounds great, right? Well, it’s not quite so simple.
Trucking companies or their insurance companies will not pay your bills as they come in; that’s not the way it works. Instead, the insurance company will pay your medical bills when your case settles or a jury awards you compensation after a trial. Oftentimes, this payment will not be until years after the crash actually occurred. That can leave crash victims struggling to stay above water in the interim.
How Do I Pay My Medical Bills After A Truck Accident?
There are two options you have to help pay your medical bills while you wait for compensation: your own health insurance and your car insurance’s medical payment coverage.
Option #1: Your Own Health Insurance
You buy health insurance to protect yourself from a mountain of medical bills if something goes wrong. Trucking accidents, oftentimes, are that something wrong.
Most health insurance policies are required to pay for your medical care and treatment regardless of whether a crash was the cause of your injuries. Your job is to get the treatment you need to get better. Upon arrival at the hospital or doctor’s office, provide them with your medical card and have them bill your health insurance company.
Option #2: Medical Payment Coverage
Another option you have after an accident-related injury is to utilize your medical payment (Medpay) coverage through your own automobile insurance policy. Some people purchase Medpay and others don’t. If you don’t have Medpay insurance, we highly recommend you add it to your policy. The premiums are generally fairly low. Most of the time, it only costs you a few dollars per month. It can be a huge help if you’re ever in financial trouble because of mounting bills after a truck accident.
Under your Medpay coverage, your own insurance company will pay the medical expenses for you and other passengers up to your Medpay coverage limits – regardless of who was at fault in the crash. Medpay coverage can help injured clients pay some or all of their medical bills. This can be especially beneficial when bills are coming in, but you have not been cleared to go back to work.
Contact Us If You’ve Been In A Truck Accident
If you don’t have health insurance or medical payment coverage, make sure that you get it. Most of our clients didn’t expect to need these financial protections but are glad they had it when life happens.
If you are suddenly facing a mountain of medical bills after a crash, feel free to call us at 312-578-9501 or toll-free at (886) 881-9980 to schedule a free consultation. You can also fill out our online contact form. We are always happy to discuss your options with you.
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