You could incur substantial medical bills if you get injured in a car accident. These bills can continue to rise as you need further medical treatments. This financial strain could cause you a lot of stress.
Fortunately, you could get your medical bills covered after a car accident by filing a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance provider. In some cases, you may also need to file a lawsuit. Thankfully, a Dallas car accident lawyer can help you with the process.
Steps an Attorney Can Take to Help You Get Your Medical Bills Covered After a Car Accident
If you have substantial medical bills after a car accident, hiring an attorney to help you through the claims process could add value to your case. Car accident attorneys have the necessary skills and knowledge to help you. They can do the following on your behalf:
- Speak to your medical care providers to determine the extent of your injuries
- Gather your medical bills and receipts to determine how much you have paid towards your medical bills so far
- Calculate the likely costs of your future medical bills based on the severity of your injuries and the prices of potential treatments
- Determine if you qualify to seek compensation for other damages in addition to your medical bills
- Contact the insurance company to start negotiating a fair settlement offer
- File a lawsuit on your behalf, if necessary
For a free legal consultation, call 877-239-4878
Medical Expenses You Could Incur After a Car Accident
If you were involved in a car accident that wasn’t your fault, you shouldn’t have to pay your medical bills. If you don’t seek compensation for your losses, you could incur significant debt.
Medical treatments you could require may include:
- Transportation to the hospital in an ambulance or helicopter
- Care from emergency room providers
- Surgeries
- Hospitalization
- Diagnostic tests, which may include CT scans, x-rays, lab tests, MRI scans, and others, according to Medline Plus
- Prescription or over-the-counter medications to treat infections or pain
- Physical therapy to increase your range of motion
- Occupational therapy, which may improve your ability to care for yourself and perform everyday activities, according to the American Occupational Therapy Association
- Ongoing doctor’s visits to receive follow-up care
When determining the value of your medical expenses, you must also account for future medical costs. Your injuries could require more surgeries or treatments weeks, months, or even years down the road. Once you settle a claim, you can’t ask for more money later if you realize you need more care. This means you must account for all past and future treatments before settling.
Your attorney can help you gather evidence and calculate costs to determine how much compensation to seek for future medical expenses. They can speak to your doctors to determine how long your injuries will require treatment. Then, they can speak to economists to determine the likely costs of these treatments in the future, taking inflation and other factors into account.
You Could Collect Other Types of Damages in Addition to Medical Bills After a Car Wreck
You might think you can only recover compensation to cover the costs of your medical treatments. However, a car accident attorney could help you seek compensation for much more. In addition to medical expenses, you could seek compensation for the following damages:
- Lost income: Injuries from a car accident could prevent you from fulfilling your job duties for an extended period. If you don’t have short-term disability insurance, you could lose substantial income. Through your car accident claim, you could seek compensation for lost income. An attorney could help you collect the necessary evidence to prove you sustained this loss.
- Property damage: While insurance claims will typically pay to fix your vehicle, you could seek compensation for more than just the repairs. You could also seek compensation for the diminished value of your vehicle. When you decide to sell your car in the future, you could receive less money because your car was involved in an accident. An attorney can speak to experts to value that loss.
- Extra expenses you accrue: Car accident victims often don’t consider the expenses they incur because of their injuries. For instance, if you have to travel a significant distance to see a specialist to treat your injuries, your travel costs could add up. Be sure to keep your receipts for gas or public transportation, as you could include these fees in your claim. Other examples could include costs to hire someone to watch your children while you receive treatments or do housework and mow the lawn for you while you are too injured to do so.
- Pain and suffering: In addition to the monetary losses you suffered because of the accident, you can seek compensation for the physical pain you have dealt with because of your injuries. Pain and suffering can also include discomfort or inconvenience your injuries caused.
- Emotional distress: Injuries from car accidents could take an emotional toll on you. If a mental health professional has diagnosed you with a mental health condition, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), because of the accident, you could seek compensation for emotional distress damages. An attorney can help you collect the necessary evidence to prove you sustained this damage.
While the amount of compensation you could recover for medical bills may exceed the value of your other damages, you should still ensure you account for all the losses you experienced. That is the best way to ensure you receive fair compensation in your case.
Contact our personal injury lawyers today
A Car Accident Attorney May Be Able to Help You Get Your Medical Bills Covered
A beneficial step you can take towards getting your medical bills covered after a car accident is contacting a car accident attorney. They can review your losses to determine the extent of damages you could seek compensation for.
Contact Loncar Lyon Jenkins today for a free consultation. During the consultation, you can expect to learn about your legal options and how our car accident attorneys can help you seek compensation for your medical bills and other losses.
Call or text 877-239-4878 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
