If you’ve recently had a crash, you need to know what to expect with car accident medical bills.
Between emergency care, surgical procedures, prescriptions, and follow-up appointments, healthcare is frequently the biggest expense following a road accident. Medical bills can quickly reach five- and six-figure sums, and they typically come alongside lost wages and property damage.
If you’ve been injured on the road, you need to start thinking about recovering these costs from the party that caused your collision.
There are various kinds of healthcare costs that can arise after a collision on the road. The more serious your accident is, the more expensive your bills tend to be.
Emergency Care and Ambulance Rides
If you’ve been in a serious accident, the first set of bills often comes from emergency services. According to statistics from Verywell Health, the average ambulance ride requiring advanced life support in the U.S. costs $1,300. However, the bill can be much higher than this if you need to travel a long distance to get to the hospital from the crash scene.
Hospital stays can quickly get expensive, especially if you require intensive care. An inpatient stay in a Pennsylvania hospital will set you back an average of $2,989 per day, according to the most recent data from KFF. This makes it one of the more expensive American states when it comes to hospital stays, though it’s still cheaper than New York ($3,714) and California ($4,337).
A range of surgeries may be necessary in your case, depending on the nature and extent of your injuries. They include:
Imaging like X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans are crucial for identifying injuries. Unfortunately, they’re also notoriously expensive. Each scan can cost several hundred to several thousand dollars.
Rehabilitation and Therapy
In order for you to make the best possible recovery, you may need physical therapy, occupational therapy, or even psychological counseling.
Follow-Up Care and Specialist Visits
Sadly, in more serious cases, medical bills will keep rolling in for years. You may require various types of ongoing care, such as checkups with specialists or visits to a pain management clinic.
Pennsylvania is a no-fault state, meaning your own insurance covers initial medical costs regardless of who caused the accident. This coverage falls under Personal Injury Protection (PIP).
In Pennsylvania, every driver is required to carry at least $5,000 in PIP coverage. While this provides a safety net, $5,000 is rarely enough to cover significant injuries. If you require greater coverage than this, you may need to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party in your case in order to recover it; we cover this in more detail below.
If your injuries are severe and PIP doesn’t cover all your expenses, you may file a claim against the at-fault driver. Their insurance may pay for medical costs, lost wages, and other damages up to the limits of their policy.
However, your ability to sue may be curtailed by the type of insurance you have. If yours is a “limited tort” policy, you may not be allowed to sue for pain and suffering damages, unless your injuries are classified as “serious.”
If you’re not sure how these rules will apply in your case, you should consider scheduling a free initial consultation with a Philadelphia car accident attorney.
If the other driver doesn’t have enough insurance—or any at all—your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage can step in. This optional coverage is invaluable when you’re dealing with an at-fault driver who lacks adequate insurance.
A personal injury attorney can make a significant difference when dealing with medical bills after a car accident. Here’s how they help:
Medical providers and insurers may file a medical lien against your settlement or award. This is a legal instrument that allows them to take a portion of your personal injury or insurance claim once it goes through. In this way, they can recoup costs they covered while your case was pending.
If this might be a factor in your case, you can ask your car accident attorneys to negotiate the terms of your lien favorably. This will ensure you’re not unfairly treated and that you get to keep as large a percentage of your ultimate settlement as possible.
Car accident medical bills can get expensive very quickly in cases involving serious injuries. If your recovery is going to cost tens of thousands of dollars, or even more, it’s crucial that you do everything possible to pursue compensation from the party who caused your accident. That all starts with the attorney you select to represent you. Contact The Cochran Firm in Philadelphia today to schedule a free initial consultation about your case. You can reach us via the contact form on our website or over the phone at 800-969-4400.
