After being injured in a car accident, you may find yourself facing unexpected medical bills and out-of-network costs for emergency care and hospital stays. Your first thought may be that the driver who caused the auto accident should pay your medical bills. This is a reasonable assumption. Under North Carolina law, the driver determined to be at fault for a car accident is responsible for the losses incurred.
However, if the other driver’s insurance company disputes your claim, you should talk with a knowledgeable attorney about your options for dealing with surprise medical bills. If your health insurance company doesn’t cover all of your medical bills, you’ll need to consider how to handle your medical bills while you seek an auto accident insurance settlement.
The experienced injury attorneys at Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. in Raleigh, NC, can help you deal with healthcare providers, health insurers, and other creditors as we pursue a personal injury claim on your behalf. We can notify medical providers and other creditors of your pending accident claim and ask them to pause any debt collection efforts until your insurance claim is resolved. Contact us today if you believe an at-fault driver should be held accountable for your car accident injuries.
Seeking Justice as Car Accident Bills Pile Up
In North Carolina, you may have a right to seek compensation for your medical expenses and other losses if another driver injures you in a collision. North Carolina car owners are required to maintain auto liability insurance. If a driver causes a crash, the at-fault driver’s auto liability insurance pays the medical expenses and car repair bills of those the negligent driver has harmed.
After an accident, you should report the collision to the at-fault driver’s insurer. To support your claim, the insurer will expect you to provide proof of:
- Their policyholder’s fault for the accident
- An accounting of your costs and losses
If you are severely injured, it will be difficult for you to gather evidence of fault in the accident. You will not know your full costs and losses for some time to come. This means your auto insurance settlement will be delayed as your medical bills begin to arrive.
Most people under the age of 65 in North Carolina have some type of private health insurance. Those age 65 and older qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, the federal government’s health insurance programs.
In most cases, a car accident victim would submit their medical bills to their primary health insurance provider that is their primary payer. That is typically a private health insurer or Medicare/Medicaid.
When your auto insurance claim is settled, the health insurance companies that paid your medical care bills may seek to be repaid from the insurance settlement. A knowledgeable attorney can help you navigate through this issue.
Let a Car Accident Attorney Represent You With Insurance Companies
How do you obtain a settlement after filing a car insurance claim? As your car accident attorneys, Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks will communicate with the insurance company representing the at-fault driver and try to negotiate an insurance settlement that covers your medical bills and related accident expenses. We will:
- Investigate the motor vehicle accident to identify the at-fault parties and determine the applicable insurance coverage.
- Document your injuries and calculate the full extent of your losses.
- Submit a car accident claim against the liability insurance of the at-fault driver with our demands for full compensation for you.
- File a personal injury lawsuit if your claim is not paid and begin negotiating with the other driver’s insurance company on your behalf to reach a fair settlement.
- Take your personal injury claim to court if necessary.
Once we take your case, we can notify your healthcare providers and insurers that we are handling your case and expect a proper settlement. It will reassure them that there is a likelihood that they will eventually receive payment if you receive a settlement or jury award.
Paying Bills with MedPay Coverage in North Carolina
If you have a health insurance plan, you should submit bills from medical providers to your insurance. If you have Medical Payments insurance coverage as part of your auto insurance, you can use it to pay for medical services and out-of-pocket costs from a healthcare provider related to your injuries in a car accident. MedPay also provides coverage of medical claims for passengers who were injured in the accident.
MedPay covers reasonable medical expenses for those injured in a car accident involving the policyholder’s vehicle, regardless of who was at fault for the crash. MedPay coverage is typically sold in amounts ranging between $1,000 and $10,000.
What Is Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Coverage in NC?
Uninsured motorist (UM) insurance covers the policyholder’s medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering when an uninsured driver causes an accident. UM coverage may also be used after a hit-and-run accident.
Underinsured motorists coverage (UIM) pays when a driver who causes injury to a covered individual does not have enough insurance to cover the injured person’s losses. UIM coverage may pay the difference after the at-fault driver’s liability insurance is exhausted.
UM and UIM are optional coverages in North Carolina.
Get in Touch with Our Car Accident Attorneys in North Carolina
The Raleigh car accident attorneys at Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. have been helping injured people in North Carolina for more than 30 years. Don’t let a large, unexpected medical bill turn your life upside down. Our law firm prides itself on providing personalized legal service to our clients. Every case we take receives individual attention, and every case is important to us.
We offer a free case review with no strings attached. We can review your insurance policies and discuss your options for paying your medical bills. Many hospitals have financial assistance programs. If we can file a claim for you, we’ll handle it on a contingency fee basis. You won’t be charged a legal fee unless we recover money for you.
We demand justice for our clients, and we are proud of our results. We are ready to put legal knowledge to work toward recovering maximum compensation for you. Contact us online or at 919-661-9000 today.
About the Author
Robert C. Younce, JR
Robert C. Younce is an attorney at Younce, Vtipil, Baznik & Banks, P.A. and concentrates his law practice on personal injury and workers’ compensation law. He has tried over 100 workers’ comp cases to Opinion and Award and about a dozen personal injury jury trials to verdict. He has been board-certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a specialist in workers’ compensation law since 2001.
