How do I pay my medical bills if I’m injured in a car accident?

• Should I use my health insurance to pay medical bills after a car crash? Yes. If you have a health insurance policy, you can and should use it to pay your medical expenses, even if the accident wasn’t your fault. If you’ll be seeking financial compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance policy, then your insurance company will expect to be reimbursed after the settlement. Money paid out by the other driver’s insurance policy will first go directly to your insurance company to cover their costs. You will receive the remaining amount. An experienced personal injury lawyer like Brandt & Sherman will negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf to make sure that you receive everything you are owed to cover your expenses, and not a penny less.
• Should I use my Medicare/Medicaid policy to pay for medical bills after a car accident? Yes. Your Medicare or Medicaid coverage can pay for your medical bills following a car accident. You should report the accident to Medicare even if you don’t file a personal injury claim against the at-fault party.
• Can I pay for medical bills with a payment plan? Maybe. Contact your medical provider and let them know that you have hired an attorney like Brandt & Sherman, who will be seeking damages for your injuries. They may be more likely to work out a payment plan, or put the payments on hold until you have received your money from the settlement.
• Does auto insurance have medical payments (med pay) coverage? Yes, many auto insurance policies will pay for medical expenses due to a car accident, even if you were at fault. Your auto insurance company may not mention this to you, so review your policy carefully to see if you’re covered. In the state of Louisiana, drivers are not required to have med pay coverage.
• Should I contact a personal injury lawyer after a car accident? Yes. A Louisiana accident attorney can help you deal with incoming medical bills in countless ways. Send the personal injury attorney a copy of each and every bill you receive. Here’s why:
• A personal injury lawyer will negotiate with the hospital on your behalf to delay payment collection until your case is completed and you’ve received your settlement.
• A personal injury lawyer will deal directly with your health insurance company to ensure your medical bills are being paid promptly and without any pushback.
• A personal injury lawyer will prevent your bills from being sent to debt collectors, which damages your credit score.

How do I find a doctor to treat me after a car accident in Louisiana?

After you’ve been in a car accident, you need to see a doctor right away—even if you don’t think your injuries are serious. It can be easy to dismiss a stiff neck or back and assume the problem will go away in a couple of days, but injuries caused by a car crash may not develop until a few days, weeks, or even months later. By delaying a visit to a doctor, you may introduce uncertainty into your case if you need to pursue compensation for future medical bills.

Say you’re driving and get rear-ended at a red light. Your car is a bit banged up, and your neck is feeling sore, but after you’re done exchanging insurance information with the other driver, you decline the offer of an ambulance and head home. Then, a week later, your neck is still sore. And by the end of the month, you’re experiencing severe headaches and neck and shoulder pain, making it impossible for you to work.

When you file an insurance claim, the insurance company may attempt to prove that your injuries weren’t caused by the car accident. They may claim you weren’t injured in the accident because you turned down medical assistance. A delay in treatment can often reduce your deserved payout from the insurance company, or worse, disqualify you completely.

Make sure you seek medical attention within 72 hours or three days after a car accident, even if you think you’re fine. This protects you in case you need to make a personal injury claim later. If you don’t have a regular health care provider or family doctor, go to an urgent care facility. It is vital that you are seen by a doctor within three days of your accident.

How do I get my car fixed after an accident?

If your car was damaged in a crash, you’ll need to make a claim to your own car insurance company or the car insurance company of the at-fault driver. To file a claim with the other driver’s company, get the contact information for their insurance company while you’re at the scene of the accident. Next, contact the company to open a claim, and then give them all the information that is available to you. They’ll need details about the accident, your vehicle and damages that occurred.

If you were injured in the accident, do not call the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Instead, contact a lawyer like Brandt & Sherman Personal Injury Lawyers to represent you and make contact with the other driver’s insurance company. Insurance companies record your conversation and they may try to use anything you have said against you later on. You are not required to give a recorded statement to another person’s insurance company, so it’s better to leave these conversations to experts like Brandt & Sherman.

If the driver who injured you doesn’t have adequate insurance to cover your costs, you might need to turn to your own insurance company. To use your them, call them or open a claim online. Even if you aren’t going to make a claim with your own company, let them know immediately that you were involved in an accident. They can’t raise your insurance rates if the accident wasn’t your fault, so it’s important to make sure they know that the accident was not your fault.

Who should I call for car accident representation?

If you’ve been in a car crash in Lafayette or any surrounding parishes in Louisiana, we’re here for you at Brandt & Sherman Injury Lawyers. With over 30 years of experience, we’ll take on the insurance Goliaths for you and make sure you get the help you need and deserve. Contact us today, and see how we become your lawyer, your voice.