What to Expect with Car Accident Medical Bills

New York City Personal Injury Lawyers » What to Expect with Car Accident Medical Bills

If you’ve had a car accident severe enough to cause injuries, your car accident medical bills could end up costing you a lot. It’s no secret that healthcare in the United States is expensive, and car accidents can cause very severe (and therefore costly) injuries. If you’ve recently had an accident, it’s important for you to understand what you might be looking at in terms of expenses.

Experiencing a car accident can be overwhelming, and dealing with the subsequent medical bills adds another layer of stress. Understanding the types of medical expenses you might face and how to manage them is crucial for your recovery journey.

Types of Car Accident Medical Bills

After a car accident, various medical expenses can arise, depending on the severity and nature of your injuries. Here’s a breakdown of common injuries and their associated costs:

Whiplash

Whiplash is a neck injury resulting from rapid back-and-forth movement of the neck, commonly occurring in rear-end collisions. Treatment may include:

• Medical evaluations and imaging to assess damage
• Physical therapy
• Medication for pain management.

Whiplash is not an especially serious injury compared to other harms suffered by car accident victims. However, there is no direct cure for it; instead, you need to engage in therapy and use pain medication while it gets better by itself. This can take many months in more severe cases, which means the related costs can stretch into tens of thousands of dollars.

Fractures

Broken bones are common in high-impact collisions. Additionally, certain types of fractures are especially common in certain types of accident situations; cyclists who get hit by cars often break their collarbones, for instance.

Costs here typically come from:

• Emergency room visits
• Surgical procedures
• Rehabilitation, including the application of casts and slings.

Costs related to fractures vary widely depending on the severity of the break(s).

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)

Costs associated with brain injuries arise from:

• Emergency medical care
• Diagnostic tests, such as CT scans and MRIs
• Long-term rehabilitation.

Brain injuries are among the most serious injuries that can arise from road accidents. Severe TBIs can result in lifetime healthcare costs exceeding $1 million. It’s also important to note that brain injuries rarely occur in isolation in car accident cases; if you’re hit seriously enough to suffer one, you’ll probably also have to deal with significant bone fractures and soft tissue injuries.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries can lead to some of the most extensive medical expenses after a car accident. Costs related to serious back injuries include:

• Immediate medical intervention, including surgery and intensive care
• Extensive ongoing physical therapy
• Assistive devices, such as wheelchairs and home modifications.

Like brain injuries, spinal injuries can be extremely severe and often incurable. Medical costs related to spinal injuries can amount to tens of thousands of dollars per year.

How to Get Compensation for Your Medical Bills

There are several potential paths to compensation for you as a car accident victim. However, none of them are straightforward. Insurance companies will generally do whatever they can to get out of paying you what you need, which is why you need a competent lawyer on your side when you’re seeking car accident compensation.

Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to access compensation through one or more of the following:

1. Personal injury protection (PIP) insurance: New York operates under a no-fault insurance system. Your PIP coverage will pay for medical expenses up to $50,000, regardless of who was at fault. ​However, because of the high costs of care, this level of coverage will pay only for relatively minor injuries.
2. Health insurance: If your medical costs exceed your PIP coverage, your health insurance may cover additional expenses. Be aware that your health insurer might seek reimbursement if you receive a settlement from the at-fault party.
3. Filing a lawsuit: If you sustain serious injuries, as defined by New York law, you may pursue a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver to recover damages beyond what PIP covers. You may also be able to recover additional compensation this way, including noneconomic damages for pain and suffering. However, the at-fault driver’s insurance company is likely to fight hard to defeat your claim and reduce its liability. If you’re curious about what an effective lawsuit strategy might look like in your case, you should schedule a free initial consultation with a car accident attorney.
4. Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: If the at-fault driver doesn’t have the legally mandated level of insurance coverage (or if you get into an accident with a hit-and-run driver), you may be able to file a claim against your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory in New York.

Ensuring Your Medical Expenses Are Covered After an Accident

At Tucker Lawyers, we understand the frustration of being stuck with huge medical bills after an accident that wasn’t your fault. If you’re in this position, you need to do everything you can to pursue compensation and get your life back on track.

Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation about your case. You can reach us by completing our online contact form or by calling (516) 399-2364.